Invincible
by Dongyrn
Summary: A pair of spacers meet and fall in love. Starting out in the 'Verse is a dangerous prospect, but perhaps a certain disreputable gentleman from Eavesdown Docks might lend a hand...
1. Chapter 1

Val stood outside the landing pad and stared up at the looming, dilapidated _Komodo_ -class medium transport. The air around the large vessel shimmered in the bright light of Lux that battered down on Eavesdown Docks like a hammer. This was the summer season for Persephone, where the distant White Sun joined with Lux to bake the surface of the planet. She noted absentmindedly that even the vendors felt the oppressiveness of the heat. Their calls were far more lackadaisical than any other time in the past month she'd been prowling the Docks, looking for work. Desperate for someone, anyone, to give her a chance.

Now, however, her prayers had been answered. The _Ferryman_ might not look like much, but it was a pearl among the other ships in her eyes. _Finally, I can get off of this gorram planet_ , she thought to herself with satisfaction.

The petite brunette took a minute to adjust her green silk Mandarin-style tunic. She pulled at it briefly to let her skin breathe, thankful that she was so under-endowed as to not require a bra. Val glanced at her black trousers worriedly, hoping that her clothing wouldn't mark her as a stuck-up Core-bred woman. She crinkled her nose, narrowing her eyes that betrayed a hint of her Asian ancestry. _They can take me as I am. I'm done with that life._

Straightening her spine, Val strode forward to the lowered ramp of the converted Independent resupply and repair ship. As soon as she set foot on the ramp, she heard the clearing of a throat from above. Glancing up, she noted a figure reclining against the support strut.

"Somethin' I c'n help ya with, ma'am?" a male voice inquired politely.

"Yes, please. My name is Valerie Zhihou, I was hired by Captain Markum."

"Oh, so yer the new pilot, eh?" The figure stepped forward into the light. He was fairly good-looking, for a man at least, with chiseled features and a tousled mop of black hair. He was wearing the typical spacer garb of tan coveralls and sensible boots. She grimaced inwardly, knowing he'd already noticed her highly impractical slippers. "My name's Billy, I'm first mate an' co-pilot," he continued. "I'll be training ya. Come on up, Valerie, an' I'll get ya situated in yer bunk."

"Thank you, Billy. And please, call me Val."

He stayed put as she continued up the ramp. "No baggage?" he asked curiously.

She shook her head. "No, I'm just travelling with the contents of my purse."

Billy shrugged unconcernedly and motioned for her to follow him on in.

Val noted that her bunk was likely the smallest aboard ship, as she was the newest and most junior of the established crew. Still, she thought she'd seen commodes larger than the room Billy had shown her to. There was enough room for a narrow bed and for her to make use of the combined toilet and sink unit, but little else. No desk or wardrobe or even a dresser of any sort. Though she sighed inwardly, she refused to let any of her misgivings show externally. _This is my new life. I may as well get used to it._

Billy left her to get settled in, what little there was to settle, and informed her that the next meal would be within the hour. He'd call on her again then, show her around the ship, and then introduce her to the other six members of the crew. When he had closed the hatch behind him, Val sank onto the stiff mattress dejectedly. _I can do this_ , she thought with far more determination than she actually felt. _I can make it out here. I know how to fly, I just need to show them my skills, get time here and experience, and then push on. Make my way in the 'Verse. I can do this._ She repeated the mantra to herself until Billy came by to pick her up again.

She walked next to the career spacer and took note of the layout of the bulky ship. Most sections were where she expected them to be, cargo in the bottom, engine room to the rear, bridge forward and up a level. The common area was located right behind the bridge, with plenty of room for the large dining table as well as several smaller tables for games and such.

The petite brunette could hear the commotion from ahead as they mounted the stairs. It cut off as if a switch had been thrown once Billy and she walked into the area.

"Capt'n, this here's Val, yer new pilot," Billy said respectfully, motioning towards the man standing at the fore of his crew. Captain Markum was a tall and imposing man, his grey hair and beard neatly trimmed and his coveralls clean and crisp. He smiled and walked over to shake Val's hand.

"Val, pleasure to meet you in person," he began with a crisp Core accent. "I'm glad you took me up on my offer."

"Please, Captain, the pleasure is mine," Val smiled demurely. "I'm very grateful you have taken a chance with me. I promise you will not regret it."

Markum smiled back and turned to introduce her to the other five members of the crew. There was Roberta, the navigator, a small and swarthy woman with a raven-haired pixie cut who looked to be from Santos, the chief mechanic Peter, a lanky middle-aged and balding man who smiled a smarmy greeting that she assumed he'd practiced on many women before, and another woman, Isabelle, who had fair skin and a luxurious mane of black hair. She was the Captain's wife and the ship's cargomaster. Sitting at one of the card tables was the main pilot, a short skinny man with a bright shock of red hair he called Shawn, who merely nodded brusquely towards her before going back to the Chinese Checkers game he was playing with Roberta.

And then finally there was the assistant mechanic, a blonde with short and spiky hair lounging against the bulkhead and watching the rest of the crew with amusement. Val dimly registered that the Captain called her Sam. _Short for Samantha, perhaps?_ Whereas the rest of the crew wore coveralls, Sam had cargoes and a tight white tank top on which revealed her toned arms and flat stomach.

Val tried very hard not to ogle the gorgeous woman, but she had a feeling she'd given herself away by virtue of the slight smirk on the blonde's face. _Or, maybe she's checking me out as well?_ She glanced over her shoulder as she took a seat at the table that was indicated to her by Markum, and sure enough her bright blue eyes were fixated on her. _A blonde. Of course it had to be a blonde._ She sighed to herself resignedly. _I rutting love blondes._

While she tried very hard to steer her thoughts towards a professional line of thinking as she got to know her new crew, a little part of her wondered if perhaps this job might not be a little more fun than she'd anticipated.

* * *

 **NOTES** : So, this is something a little new. My previous story, Nothing In The 'Verse, was long and episodic. This will be a much shorter story, broken up into simple chapters. I hope to bang this out over the next week or so. Hope you enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

The _Ferryman_ lifted the next morning, bright and early, with a cargo hold full of textiles bound for the Rim. For all Val cared, it could have been fertilizer. She'd never been so glad to break atmo before in her life.

The new pilot aboard sat on the bridge in a small jump seat located behind Billy's station at the co-pilot's console. He was giving a running commentary on the systems and the procedures they used for launch, most of which she knew from earlier experience but some of it was new to her. This was certainly a larger ship than she'd ever tried to pilot. Shawn, sitting on the right at the pilot's station, was as terse as he'd been since she'd met him, while Captain Markum exuded an air of relaxed confidence. His seat was in the exact middle of the bridge, where he could swivel around to observe any of the stations. Behind him and to the right sat Roberta at the navigator's station, and across from her was the captain's wife Isabelle.

As they settled onto their new course for the Kalidasa system, Markum stretched his arms above his head. "Nicely done, people. Billy and Val, take the first watch please, get her up to speed on the sensors and such, alright?"

"Sure thing Capt'n," Billy replied cheerily. The others left the bridge, some to scare up a game of Tall Cards in the lounge while others were retiring to their bunks, still somewhat tender from the alcohol imbued from their last landfall.

"So, the Captain," Val began hesitantly as she moved over to take Shawn's seat. "He seems like a good man. I can tell everyone here respects him."

"Gorram right we all do," Billy grinned at her. "Steady enuff income workin' fer him last, what, five years'r so. Man treats 'is crew well so long as they do right by 'im."

Val nodded thoughtfully. That was the impression she'd gotten as well, but it was always good to get another opinion. She turned to ask him what they would cover first, when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. There was a quick flash of blonde hair, almost too fast for her to catch. When she glanced over her shoulder, the entryway to the bridge was empty.

She was pretty certain, however, that Sam had just been checking up on her again.

The petite woman spent the next several hours with Billy, learning the ropes as it were. The first mate expressed his incredulity at how quickly she mastered many of the topics, but she wasn't inclined to disabuse him of that notion. Her own knowledge was spotty but fairly proficient, and she had to concentrate so as to not give away just how much she really knew about piloting.

After their four hour shift was done, Val accompanied Billy back through the recreation area but begged off of a proposed game of cards with the man. She didn't want to encourage him overly, not only was he not her type but the entire wrong gender to catch her attention. As she made her way back towards her bunk, she mused about a certain blue-eyed blonde who was certainly captivating enough, but dangerous in her own way. _Do I really need that sort of attention? How long am I planning on staying here?_

As if summoned by her thoughts, she heard a soft voice call out just as she put her hand on the hatch to her bunk. "Hey, Core-girl."

She smirked to herself, but wiped it away as she turned to watch Sam saunter up towards her. "Hey, greasemonkey."

Sam stopped and let out a startled laugh. It was a husky sound, one that invited everyone else to join in with the merriment, unabashedly joyful. "Not just 'nother pushover, arya?"

"I've been told otherwise," Val replied archly. _What are you doing Val, don't encourage her, just say goodbye and go into your bunk..._

"Ya got any plans?" the mechanic asked, a twinkle in her bright blue eyes.

"Just to rest up," Val replied neutrally. _With you. In my bed. Oh sweet Buddha, stop thinking like that..._

"Hmm," Sam mused, eyeing her up and down languidly. "Don' s'pose ya want any company?"

Val felt a flash of heat soar downwards from her chest to land between her legs with what must have been an audible _thunk_ of wetness. _Oh, I am so rutting humped._ While she knew she should just turn her down politely and enter her bunk, she almost felt like it were another woman taking the reigns, one who knew exactly what she wanted and propriety be gorramed all to _diyu_ (hell) and back.

"Not right now," she purred. "I'll take a rain check, though."

She saw the answering flash of heat in Sam's eyes, but turned before she could make any further disastrous errors in judgement. She'd taken a single step over the threshold when Sam's next words halted her.

"You know more 'bout pilotin' than ya let on, dontcha?"

Val stood, frozen like a prey faced with an entire pack of predators. "What makes you say that?" she asked through numb lips, still facing into her room.

"I c'n tell by the way ya pick up on some stuff. Been watchin' ya." She could feel Sam take another step forward, close enough that she imagined she could feel the heat radiating off of her body. She was still unable to move, even when she could hear Sam inhaling her scent behind her. "It's not a big deal, we all gotta do what we c'n ta get by. Even if'n it means downplayin' whatcha know, right?"

"Right," Val whispered. She could just lean back and she'd be in contact with the beautiful blonde, let her wrap her muscular arms around her...

 _Not yet._ Internally she'd already resigned herself to the fact that it was a lost cause. There was mutual attraction here, and in the close confines of their ship she'd surely go mad in short order if she were to deny the fact to herself any longer. But, that didn't mean she couldn't let the anticipation build some.

She glanced back over her shoulder, let just a bit of smolder fill her eyes. "Promise to keep it a secret?"

Sam smiled at her wickedly. "Well now, what willa give mer fer my efforts?"

"Oh, I'll think of something," she replied offhandedly. With that she slipped the rest of the way into her room and started to close the hatch. "See you later, Sam," she murmured before closing it softly.

Turning, she slumped to the deck, cradling her knees in her arms. _Yes, I am humped._ She sighed resignedly. Ai ya, huai le _(shit on my head), how I rutting love blondes._


	3. Chapter 3

When Val opened her door the next morning to take her shift with Billy, she almost expected Sam to be waiting for her. She felt a slight twinge of disappointment, but it was quickly allayed by the sight of the spiky-haired blonde mechanic perched on a stool in front of the galley countertop.

"'Mornin'!" Sam greeted her cheerily. "Ya get any breakfast yet?" She had a cup of coffee in front of her and some sort of pastry in her hand.

"Um, no, I'm not normally a breakfast person," she replied bemusedly. "By any chance, is there a pot of tea on?"

"Not a coffee drinker, huh?" Sam smiled at her, blue eyes twinkling. "Yeah, Isabel's a big tea fan. She's got all sortsa tins up there, measure yer leaves out an' use the hot water kettle."

Val felt an immediate glow of happiness at the unexpected luxury. Non-instant tea, and a variety of it no less? She walked over behind the counter, attempting to conceal her eagerness, and perused the tins available. _Oh, perfect, she's got jasmine in here, my favorite._

"So how'd ya sleep?" Sam asked casually, sipping her coffee.

"Fine, thank you. Yourself?" She inhaled the fragrant aroma of the jasmine tea as the hot water filled her cup. She swished around the small ball which contained the tea leaves, watching the tea seep into her cup, and studiously _not_ watching how the muscles played across Sam's toned shoulders as she would lift her cup up to her perfect, plump lips just begging to be kissed. _Exactly how long has it been for me, anyway?_ she mused humorously. _I'm acting like a teenager in heat._

"Not too bad. Lil' restless." Val could detect the smirk in Sam's voice as she spoke. "By the by, d'ya only own the one set of clothes?"

Again Val froze in her motions. _Stupid, stupid, thoughtless..._ She should have known someone would pick up on the fact that she didn't own any other clothing other than what she had on her back. If nothing else, Billy had already noted her lack of luggage. _Not that big a deal, play it off._ "I'm afraid so. I didn't have the credits to pick up more appropriate clothing for crewing on board a ship."

"Hmm," the mechanic mused into her mug.

Her tea done, Val returned the ball to the side for later reuse and headed towards the bridge. "Well, it's my shift. Talk to you later?"

Sam smiled at her. "Count on it."

She suppressed the giggle that threatened to pour from her lips as she walked onto the bridge, but she couldn't contain the smile on her face.

"Had a good night's sleep?" Billy asked courteously.

"Fair enough. I had a better morning, though." She inhaled the fragrant tea from her steaming cup. "I'm very thankful to have fresh tea leaves, it's a luxury I haven't experienced in some time."

"Well, the Capt'n keeps Isabel stocked up pretty well fer that," the spacer replied. "She'll be glad to have 'nother tea-drinker ta commiserate with among allus coffee swiggers."

Val laughed lightly and took a sip from her cup. _Oh that's just lovely._ "So, what's in store for this morning?"

"Well, ya seemed ta breeze through alla what I had ta teach ya yesterday, so I figured we'd try goin' over the landin' procedures..."

The four hour shift seemed to fly by. Isabel did stop in, and Val made sure to thank her profusely for the use of her tea. The cargomaster, in turn, was very enthusiastic about the ins and outs of cultured tea drinking, much as Billy had forewarned.

When she returned to her bunk afterwards, she noted a small pile of clothes in front of her door. There were three sets of coveralls of various shades of brown, close enough to her size, though she'd need to roll up the sleeves and legs. She looked around bemusedly and immediately spied Sam peering around the corner.

"Are these from you?" Val asked, her eyebrow arched.

"Mmhmm," the blonde replied, pushing off from the bulkhead and walking the rest of the way around the corner towards her. "Just some of my older stuff, don' fit me no more none. They okay?"

She was touched, really. Even if the woman in front of her were not trying to gain her favor, the simple act of kindness brought a burning to her eyes that she desperately tried to keep hidden. "Yes, thank you," she whispered, turning her face away as she fumbled for the hatch entry. "I'm... very grateful."

"Arya?" Sam asked, perhaps a bit huskily. Again, Val could feel her as she approached, and almost gave in to the temptation, but it wasn't quite time yet. No decent flirtation lasted a mere two days, she'd be doing a disservice to the both of them were she to acquiesce so soon.

"I am," she confirmed, clutching the bundle to her chest. She glanced up, peering through her lashes, and gave her a little smile. "Very much so. Thank you again." With that she slipped inside and closed the hatch behind her, letting out a huff of relieved air as she did so.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep stretching this out," she moaned to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the course of the next day and a half Sam became more and more aggressive in her pursuit. Val found it to be increasingly difficult to stay aloof and yet still appear receptive to her advances.

By the next evening, Val was enjoying a game of Chinese Checkers with the blonde mechanic. She was surprised to find such a nimble and sharp mind lurking behind those bright blue eyes. _More than just a pretty face, aren't you? Every passing minute I become more and more assuredly humped._

"So, is Sam short for Samantha?" It took her some time to gather up the courage to ask the question.

"Yep, that's what my folk done named me," she sighed, examining the board in front of them. "They wanted 'nother girly-girl, don' right know why they'd 'xpect sucha thing, bein' from where we were an' all."

"And where did you come from?" Val asked quietly.

Sam stopped in her perusal of the board to peer intently into her eyes. "Ya really wanna know 'bout me an' my past?"

The petite brunette, feeling somewhat dwarfed in her coveralls, nodded. "I really would, yes."

"Well." Sam sat back and crossed her arms, her bright blue eyes glittering in the dim light cast after hours. They pretty much had the recreation area to themselves, save for the captain and his wife enjoying a quiet cup of late-night hot chocolate.

"My family hails from Hera," Sam began quietly. "We're farmin' folk, been that way fer generations. I gots nine brothers an' sisters, I'm right in the middle of 'em age-wise. I an't been mucha one fer farmin', though. Did well enuff, just got plumb tired of workin' out inna sun all day long." She glanced over towards the couple over at the other side of the room. "Best gorram thing ever happened to me to date was the Capt'n settin' down outside of my lil' town. I convinced 'im to take me on, had enuff skill with the mechanics an' all, he didn' mind none my lack of proper education."

"Education isn't everything," Val broke in gently. "Natural ability and skills can take you far in life, if you take the opportunities that are presented to you."

Sam gave her a brilliant smile that lit her face up. "'Xactly. That's 'xactly what I'm sayin'." She leaned in and continued with a conspiratorial whisper. "Ain't plannin' on stayin 'board the _Ferryman_ ferever. She's a good ship, an' I owe the Capt'n big, but I wanna make my own way at some point, y'know? Mebbe be a chief mechanic onna ship."

Val smiled broadly. "I think that's a wonderful idea," she murmured. "I can tell you could do anything you put your mind to."

The blonde smiled slightly, but cast her eyes downward. "Not everythin'," she mumbled almost inaudibly.

Val chose to ignore the comment and continued their match. She won, but just barely, after a long game that stretched out some time. The others had gone to bed already by that point and the only other crew who might be awake would be Shawn on the bridge.

"Well, thank you for a very enjoyable game," Val said after they cleaned up the board. "And for the company. I greatly enjoyed the conversation."

"Here, I'll walk ya to yer bunk," Sam offered. Val smiled slightly, hoping she'd be strong enough for one more night. Perhaps tomorrow would be soon enough to allow for a kiss...

Her musing were brought up short as they reached her hatch all too soon. As had become their custom, she faced her bunk while Sam closed in behind her.

"Val."

The edge of desperation to her soft husky voice caused her to turn around and peer into the bright blue eyes that had mesmerized her so much. "Sam?"

"C'n you... arya ever gonna invite me in?"

Val was tempted, oh she was so very very tempted, but that wasn't how the game was played. She was surprised that Sam was being so overt in her wants, but she knew how it had to play out.

"Perhaps someday," she answered softly.

The muscular blonde clenched her jaw and closed her eyes. "Y'know, if'n ya ain't interested none, ya should just tell me outright."

Val was momentarily puzzled, but the closeness of the other woman made her head swim and prohibited any sort of clear thinking. It was all she could do to restrain herself and follow the rules. _Perhaps I can bend them a little, move the timetable up just a bit..._

"I never said I wasn't interested," she whispered, and leaned in to brush her lips very slightly against Sam's.

She almost gasped from the electricity she felt in the brief contact. She had to get into her bunk, now, before she lost all sense of decorum.

"Goodnight, Sam," she said softly, and entered into her bunk.

As she was closing the hatch, however, something made her peer through the crack at the blonde who was still standing, frozen, in the corridor. She noted with alarm the anger that flushed the mechanic's features and the fury that radiated with every step she took away from Val's room and towards her own.

She closed the hatch the rest of the way and sank to the floor, trying to come to terms with what she'd just witnessed. _Why is she mad? Is it because I moved too fast? She seemed plenty aggressive before. What if...?_ A thought occurred to her, and like a bright flash of light suddenly everything became glaringly obvious to her. She banged the back of her head against the hatch and moaned in dismay. _All this time, I've been acting like this was a courtship within the Core. Of course she wouldn't understand what I was doing. Obviously they do things much different outside the Core._

She took a moment to consider her next course of action. She should wait till the next morning, really, apologize then and talk once Sam had cooled down. But then she'd have all night to stew in her anger... Any other woman Val would have just let it go, but somehow she'd become irresistibly drawn to this beautiful mechanic. "Only a blonde would do this to me," she groaned to herself as she pushed up to her feet. "Sweet Buddha, how I rutting love blondes."

She set off down the corridor and around the corner towards the engine room where Sam's bunk was located. She hoped that she had indeed returned to her bunk, otherwise she was in for a bit of a hunt to find her around the ship that she still wasn't completely comfortable finding her way around in.

She arrived at the hatch to Sam's bunk and pressed her ear to it. She could hear a rhythmic thumping noise from inside, as if something were being pummeled. After a few seconds there was a pause, and she took the opportunity to tap timidly on the door.

There was but a heartbeat before the door was flung open, and there stood Sam, sweating and panting from exertion. She was clad only in her tank top and her underwear. Her very, very skimpy black underwear, which Val absolutely could not focus on right now or she'd melt into a gooey little puddle right at the lovely mechanic's feet.

"I need to apologize to you," Val began, her eyes downcast. Though the sight of the sweating, flushed blonde in front of her was immensely distracting, she needed to get this out first. "Where I come from, flirting is a game, a dance of sorts. It makes the end result all the more enjoyable from the anticipation." She looked up then into the bright blue eyes that had haunted her dreams every night since she'd boarded the _Ferryman_. She very carefully skipped right over the whole underwear portion. And the very shapely legs. And tight tank top over her lovely bosom. _Focus, gorramit._ "I realize now that things are done... differently outside the Core. So... I apologize if I've overly frustrated you-"

Her words were cut off abruptly as Sam surged forward and sealed her lips on her own. She was momentarily shocked but that quickly faded as she lost herself in the passion that Sam was pouring into her action. Dimly she could feel the mechanic's muscular arms wrap around her to pull her in close, and she realized she'd entangled her own arms around Sam's sweaty frame as well, grasping the back of her tank top in both fists.

Time seemed to lose lose all meaning for the petite woman as she allowed herself to sink into the physical joy of being with another person. It'd been so long since she allowed herself to just let go, to give in to her feelings, to trust someone.

Val blinked her eyes as reality returned to her. Sam's face was hovering over her, her blue eyes wide and searching. Somehow they'd ended up inside her bunk and on top of Sam's narrow bed. She licked her lips, still tasting the essence of the blonde woman, a mixture of coffee and cinnamon, likely from the gum she would occasionally chew while working in the engine room. Not that she'd been keeping track of such things, of course.

Sam's eyes trailed down to her lips, and she smirked slightly. "You taste like jasmine," she whispered huskily.

She nodded slightly. "Um. Yes. That's the tea I like."

"I know," Sam replied softly. "I checked."

Val smiled. _So she's been checking up on me as well._ "And you're all sweaty."

"Well, yeah," Sam smirked above her. "I was workin' out my frustrations on my punchin' bag. That bother you any?"

Val grinned and shook her head just as slightly. "So, is this how it's done out on the Rim?"

"Oh, darlin'," Sam drawled heatedly, "I ain't even begun to show ya how it's done out here..."


	5. Chapter 5

It was odd in a way. Val had spent so much time on her own, constantly looking over her shoulder for betrayal and danger, that she found it to be a foreign concept to let someone in as quickly as she'd done for Sam. It wasn't just a mutual physical attraction, though there was plenty of that, to be sure. Somehow the jaded brunette found herself trusting the open and free-spirited mechanic in a way she hadn't thought possible before.

And while a small part of her wondered when such a fairy tale might end, the rest of her suppressed such traitorous thoughts and decided to just live in the moment. For once in her life, be happy with the here and now.

The two lovers took their time discovering things about each other in their burgeoning relationship. Val, at the first, thought they should keep it hidden from the rest of the crew, but she quickly found out that secrets were an anomaly on board a close-knit crew like the _Ferryman_.

"So, Val," Billy commented casually on one morning's shift, the second one since Val started sleeping in Sam's slightly larger bunk. "You an' Sam, eh?"

"Um," Val started, clearing her throat nervously. "Yes?" She glanced over at the first mate a little askance, wondering what the fallout might be.

"Well, good fer y'all," he simply replied. Then, sparing her a quick glance, he amended, "Granted, there's a coupla broken hearts on board, an' I owe Roberta ten credits."

"You... bet on me? And Sam?" she asked incredulously.

"Some of us didn't figure you fer swingin' that way," he laughed. "Roberta now, she had faith. Said she saw how ya'll looked at each other, an' said it was, what was it... oh, yeah, 'inevitable' that y'all'd end up t'gether."

"Really." Val sat back in the pilot's seat, somewhat perplexed. She resolved to do something nice for the navigator later.

"So, back to yer flyin'," Billy continued. "I think ya gots allus I c'n teach ya. If'n yer ready, I c'n let Shawn an' the Capt'n give ya yer final test 'fore we let ya take a shift on yer own."

"Do you think I'm ready?" she asked worriedly.

He barked a sharp laugh. "Oh yeah, yer ready hon. 'Sides, I'm tired of takin' th' early shift. Ya pass, an' I gets ta sleep in 'gain."

Val giggled. "Well, I suppose for the sake of your beauty sleep, I'll try my hardest to pass."

"That's the spirit!" he said merrily. "Now, let's run over a review or some such, an' then call 'em over at the end of yer shift..."

They spent the next four hours going over the details in grueling detail, from emergency landing procedures to specific escape velocities to damage control protocols. When the first mate was assured she knew the material forwards and backwards, he gave the Captain and the Pilot a hail over the ship's intercom, and then the real testing began.

Two exhausting hours later, she stumbled into the engine room where Sam was doing an inventory on the ship's store of spare parts.

"Hey babe, you okay?" the blonde mechanic asked worriedly, seeing the worn-out expression on her lover's face.

Val nodded as she leaned against the bulkhead wearily. "I just finished an intense grilling by both Captain Markum and Shawn," she sighed. "A final exam, if you will."

"An' how'd it go?" she questioned, her bright blue eyes focused intently on Val's brown irises, circled by bloodshot whites.

Val smiled brilliantly, her face creasing in laugh lines that she had found very little occasion to exercise before joining with the _Ferryman_. "I passed with flying colors."

"Yeah!" Sam cheered, grabbing Val around the waist and spinning her about. "Knew ya had it in ya, babe!" She set the giggling woman back on her feet and hugged her close, closing her lips over Val's with an intense, happy kiss.

Val broke it off, still grinning widely. "The Captain said he'd put in for my official papers at the next port. It's still so hard to believe, letting me become a full-fledged pilot at only twenty-four!"

The blonde snorted softly. "Ya think age gots anythin' ta do with it? Like ya said to me 'fore, experience an' ability counts fer more, 'specially out on the Rim." She leaned back slightly, holding the petite brunette with her gaze. "How old d'ya think I am?"

"Um, I'm not sure... Maybe twenty-two? Twenty?"

Sam chuckled quietly. "Nah. Just turned eighteen."

"Really?" Val looked back at her, wondering if it made a difference or not. To her surprise, she found that it really didn't make a single whit of one. "Well. Alright then."

"Don' bother ya none?"

Val grinned and pulled her girlfriend back down for another kiss, this one filled with far more passion and promise. She was filled to her very core with a burning desire for the woman in her arms, and it only increased when the blonde slipped her tongue past her lips and urgently probed inside.

Val pulled back after what seemed an eternity, panting hard. She knew her cheeks must be flushed with excitement and passion. "I don't suppose you get off of your shift anytime soon?"

"'Fraid not, _lian ren_ (sweetheart)," Sam laughed, her cheeks brightly flushed as well. But then she glanced over towards the entrance. "But... the door to th' engine rooms locks. An' I just gotta be here, nothin' sayin' I gots to be workin' alla the time..."

Val gave her a wicked little smile. "Well then, why don't you go ahead and secure that door, _wo de ai_ (my love)?"

Sam returned her smile with a sultry one of her own. "I believe I just might, at that." She walked over to the door, glancing out to make sure there was nobody in sight, before quietly pulling it shut and fastening the lock. She turned back again, and said, "Alright, then-"

Her words were cut off by the shock of seeing the petite brunette standing there, very naked, with her hands demurely clasped behind her back.

"Sorry," Val murmured. "I couldn't wait."

"I ain't complainin', beautiful," Sam grinned as she quickly shed her own clothes.

Val smiled at her anticipatorily, her slightly slanted eyes crinkling at the sight of the gorgeous mechanic revealing her lean, muscular body. _Now that's something I will never, ever get tired of seeing_ , she thought to herself happily.

Sam quickly closed the distance and the two lovers wrapped their arms around each other in a tight embrace, kissing each other's necks and collarbones, grazing each other's ears and lips with their teeth.

"Sam, are you sure nobody is going to notice the locked door?" Val asked breathily.

"Not a chance, babe," Sam reassured her as she pulled the two of them down to the deck.

Outside, Captain Markum, his wife Isabel, and Roberta stood outside the engine room's door, regarding it levelly.

"Well, that settles it then," Markum sighed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ten-credit chip, passing it over to his navigator.

"Pleasure doin' business with ya, Capt'n," Roberta smirked, slipping it into her pocket along with several other coins collected that day.

"Told you so," Isabel sighed, slipping her arms into her husband's and steering them towards their cabin. "You shouldn't have asked my opinion if you weren't going to take it."

"As usual, you're right _zhi'ai_ (most beloved). Nor should I have made the side bet with you."

Roberta laughed cheerfully as she followed them towards the crew quarters. "And what did y'all bet?"

"A week's worth of massages," Isabel replied over her shoulder, her eyes twinkling. "And I intend to start collecting immediately."

The pair of career spacer woman laughed at their captain's expense, who, truth be told, didn't mind all that much. He was just as happy to see his assistant mechanic enjoying herself.

The experienced captain still wasn't sure about their new pilot. He was fairly certain she still had a few secrets she was withholding, but he intended to simply keep an eye on the couple. He trusted in Sam's judgement, and was willing to give Val the benefit of the doubt.


	6. Chapter 6

"So, _wo de ai_ , I have a question for you." Val stood nervously in the engine room while Sam puttered about, tinkering with some mechanical part of the accelerator core that the petite brunette had no clue about.

"Sure, babe, what'd ya have in mind?" The blonde's words were muffled slightly by virtue of her head being stuck underneath said accelerator core.

Val glanced over towards the door, assuring herself that there were no eavesdroppers. She dropped her voice down to a whisper. "Did you still want to strike out on your own?"

There was a muffled curse as Sam banged her head. She slithered out, looking up at her lover, bright blue eyes peering out from a grease-smudged face that was still incredibly beautiful in Val's opinion.

"Ya only been on the boat fer three months. Arya wantin' to push on already?"

Val shook her head determinedly. "No, not yet. I still owe the Captain and the rest of the crew an incredible debt for their welcoming and acceptance and... well." She looked down at her feet. "Truth be told, you all saved my life when you let me board this ship."

Sam pushed herself up to a sitting position and reached up to pull Val down onto her lap. She wrapped her arms around her and they snuggled together, enjoying the feeling of warmth and safety.

"I know there's a lotta stuff you ain't told me 'bout yer past," Sam began musingly. "But I figure it's up to you, yer gonna tell me 'bout it in yer own time. But if'n ya tell me we saved yer life, well I'm inclined to take that literal-like."

Val was quiet for a few moments. "I can't really reveal much to you," she began hesitantly, "but please believe me when I say that it's for your safety as much as mine."

The mechanic ran her free hand through her short spiky blond hair and sighed. "Okay. Well, I s'pose I'll just settle fer that, then. So," she added, clearly changing the subject, "why the talk 'bout leavin' the ship?"

The petite woman cleared her throat nervously, glancing back at the entryway to the engine room again. "I have... some funds stashed away. But it's on Osiris, where we're headed. I can only access it physically, and only in person. It's..." She hesitated again. "It might be a bit dangerous to get to. I mean, it's in a bank and all, but by getting to it, it might attract... undue attention."

"Well alright then," Sam replied confidently. "Then we'll go out t'gether an' get it while we're dirtside."

Val pulled back, startled at the offer. She really hadn't intended for her to accompany her, in fact her initial reaction was to vehemently deny the action. She couldn't put her in danger like that.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Sam was already laying a calloused finger across her lips. "If'n yer goin', I'm goin'. An' that's final," she murmured firmly.

Tears gathered at the edges of her eyes, but Val nodded slowly anyway. She was unused to this feeling, of someone wanting to protect her. It made her feel... wanted. In a good way. And that, she didn't think she'd ever felt before.

"Sam, I..." She swallowed down the emotion that threatened to overwhelm her. "I... I love you."

The lean blonde's blue eyes widened, and her face broke out in a pleased grin. "Yeah? Well, I love you too, babe."

The next several minutes were spent engrossed within each others arms as the couple did their very best to merge their bodies into one single being, even barring the pesky clothes that remained in the way.

"So, if'n yer not plannin' on leavin' anytime soon, is this just gettin' the money out fer when ya decide it's time?" Sam finally asked huskily after she'd caught her breath.

"Um, yes," Val replied unsteadily. She was still waiting on her heartbeat to return to normal. "Well, at least whenever you're ready."

"Oh yeah? So yer plannin' on goin' with me then?" the mechanic asked cheekily.

Val looked into the bright blue eyes that were the last thing she saw every night and greeted her every morning. "Wherever you go, I go. I'm not leaving your side."

Her lover hitched a breath, and Val could have sworn she saw a tear threaten to escape down her cheek. "Well, okay then," the other woman whispered. "I s'pose we'll hafta work outta plan then, yeah?" She cleared her throat. "So how much money are we talkin' 'bout?"

"Well, it's been some time, but depending on the interests rates that have compounded... somewhere in the vicinity of thirty-one thousand credits."

Sara blinked a couple of times, as if she were taking a while to absorb the number. " _Wuh duh ma huh tah duh fong kwong duh wai shung_ (Holy Mother of God and All Her Wacky Nephews)," she finally murmured incredulously.

The next day saw them land on Osiris at the lower docks, and Captain Markum had Val bring the _Ferryman_ down for the landing. She managed to perform without a hitch, earning glowing praise from both the Captain and the First Mate as well. The Pilot, Shawn... well he reacted with as much enthusiasm as Val had ever seen from him, namely none at all. She didn't worry overly at it, as Sam had reassured her that was just the way he was with everyone.

Once they were landed both Sam and Val obtained permission to leave the ship. They were to return well before the ship's lift slot, which was early the next morning.

Sam wore her usual shipboard outfit of cargoes, white tank top, and boots, but in addition was carrying a sidearm in a holster strapped to her waist. The leather was well-worn and oiled, while the gun, an old Moses Brother's revolver from what Val could tell, looked well-cared for but had seen more than a generation's worth of use.

As they walked along the lower docks, Val reached over to brush her hand along the warm metal. "Was this your father's?"

Sam glanced over at her, startled. "Yeah, it was. He used it in the War, gave it ta me when I left the farm. Said it'd keep me safe. Grew up learnin' ta shoot guns, so's I already knew howta use it plenty well."

Val nodded, and reached over to grasp her lover's hand. "Thank you for coming with me," she said softly.

Sam grinned back at her, giving her hand a squeeze but not relinquishing her grip. "My pleasure, babe. I just wish you were armed as well, plenty a' shifty-lookin' folk hereabouts."

The petite woman shook her head bemusedly. She'd changed from her second-hand coverall garments back to her original dark green Mandarin-style tunic, worn black slacks, and slippers. Once they got to their destination, she needed to look the part. But she was unwilling to tell her girlfriend and protector that there was no way in _diyu_ she'd ever pick up a gun again.

After a goodly amount of walking, and stopping for a quick meal at a noodle shop that smelled heavenly to both women, they eventually reached the Osiris Lower Docks branch of the Sihnon Mercantile Consortium and Banking.

Val stopped outside, turning to Sam with a serious expression on her face. "When we go in, if anyone asks you for your gun, hand it over. You'll get it back when we leave. Let me do all the talking, you're my bodyguard, so just stand by and glower at anyone who stands too close to me or that I'm trying to ignore. Okay?"

The blonde mechanic blinked her eyes a few times in the sudden change of tone from her lover. She nodded warily, curious as to what would happen once they got inside. "Sure thing, _wo de ai_. I'll follow yer lead."

"Alright, then." Val took a deep breath, gave Sam's hand a final squeeze, and then let go. She turned and strode resolutely towards the entrance to the branch, her protector following closely on her heels.

They were quickly met by a pair of security personnel. "I'm sorry, ma'am, we don't permit guns inside," one of the guards said apologetically. Sam grunted and handed her pistol over, butt-first, without argument.

The second guard smiled at them and welcomed them inside. The next stop was at the side offices where the customer service representatives sat. One quickly scurried over, a professional smile on her face. "Yes, how can we help you today?"

"My name is Angela Lee," Val stated in a cold voice. "I need to withdraw funds from my account."

"Of course, but the tellers up front could surely-"

"I do not have my identification on me," Val cut her off imperiously. "You will have my biometrics on file. Please use them now."

"Oh, of course, my apologies Miss Lee, follow me please..."

Sam followed them into the woman's office and took up position in the doorway, preventing anyone else from entering. Val was impressed with the ease at which she slipped into the role. She had the faint suspicion that her girlfriend was actually enjoying herself immensely.

The petite brunette recited the fourteen-digit account number, pressed her hand to a scanner, and spoke the name of Angela Lee in her emotionless voice into a voice box. Within a few seconds, the account rep looked up with a smile.

"Very good, Miss Lee, I have your account right here. How much would you like to withdraw?"

"All of it, please."

"Er... All of it?"

"Yes. All of it."

"Very well, and how would you like the distribution of your assets?"

Val considered the representative with a level gaze. "What is my current balance?"

"As of today, thirty-three thousand, two hundred and seventeen credits."

Val thought she might have heard a soft inhale of breath from behind her, but the woman by the terminal gave no indication she'd noticed.

"Very well. Thirty-three thousand in large denomination credit notes. The rest in smaller denominations and coin, let's say fifteen ten-credit notes, six ten-credit coins, and then seven single-credit coins."

"Of course, please sign here Miss Lee and I will get that for you immediately."

Val nodded graciously and leaned forward to sign the name of Angela Lee to the screen. Within fifteen minutes Sam had regained her pistol and they were on their way back towards the ship, the money stuffed into Val's purse. She held on to it with an understandably firm grasp.

"Wow," Sam murmured as she clasped Val's left hand with her own right. "That was... pretty gorram impressive."

"Hmm?" Val queried absentmindedly, her head swiveling around to check for any undue attention. She was paying particular notice of any repeat people who ended up in her rear vision, in case there was a team attempting to tail them.

"You. Never done seen anythin' like it. Were y'ever actin' or some such?"

"Something like that," Val murmured, stopping at a store that sold spacer gear. "You mind if we stop in here? As much as I love wearing your clothes, I think I should purchase more appropriately-sized garb. Oh, and perhaps some sensible shoes."

"Listen ta ya, after alla that yer talkin' 'bout sensible shoes," Sam chuckled. "Sure, babe, let's see what they gots."

Val took only perhaps five minutes to assemble a wardrobe of three coveralls, all of which were different shades of blue, as well as a couple of plain white tee shirts, a pair of exercise short, a few sets of new underwear, and a pair of workman's shoes that felt comfortable enough without having tried them on. She hoped they were, because by that point she'd managed to spot three members of the team that had been following them. One was looking as if he were about to enter the store soon.

After she paid for the purchase, she stopped near the front and examined a floral dress on display. "What do you think of this?"

"I dunno, ya don' seem much like the dress type," Sam volunteered.

"Well, I think I should try it on. Here, hold my bags please?" She searched through the rack, peering outside the store out of the corner of her eye. The one who had looked to enter was now moving back to the other side of the street now that they were in sight again. Val pulled a dress out and headed towards the back. "Come along, love."

"Yes, ma'am," Sam snarked, lugging the bags through the aisles.

"You trust me, right?" Val murmured over her shoulder as they approached the fitting rooms.

"Um, yeah, 'course I do," Sam replied, somewhat perplexed.

Val reached over and hung the dress in her hand on another rack. "Keep following me, don't look back, just nice and slow." She proceeded past the rooms and towards the rear of the store. Without pausing she opened the back door and entered the employees-only area. It was, fortunately, deserted. Once the door was closed behind them, she hurried towards the rear of the room. ":Okay, now we run."

"What? _Wo de ai_ -"

Val slammed the rear door open, glancing about the alleyway and assuring herself that there was no threat apparent. "Run!" she urged.

The two women broke into a trot as Val scanned each side of the alley. Finally she spied a door propped open on the opposite side of the alley from where they'd entered. Likely either an employee had stepped out for a break, or they were trying to let cool air in. Val didn't hesitate in throwing the door open and shoving Sam ahead of her. She kicked the piece of wood that had been holding the door open back inside the store and closed the door behind them.

"Alright, what's goin' on babe?" Sam hissed, looking about warily. She'd put both of the shopping bags into her left hand, and her right was resting on the handle of her pistol.

"Just being cautious, _lian ren_ ," she assured her lover.

Within a few short minutes they were back on the next street, striding without undue haste back towards the ship. Val kept scanning for memorable faces, but to her relief didn't spy any more. However, she didn't allow herself to breathe freely until they returned to board the _Ferryman_.

They ended up back in Sam's bunk, with the credit notes spread out on her mattress.

"That there is a whole lotta shiny money," Sam said thoughtfully.

"It is at that," Val agreed. She was waiting for the questions, but honestly wasn't sure how she'd be able to deflect them. What happened today was because of her taking on such unnecessary risks. She shouldn't have allowed Sam to come along, if anything had happened to her-

"So, is Valerie yer real name?"

Val blinked uncertainly. _Well, I didn't expect that one_. "Yes, it is. I've been... known by many others in the past. But yes, Valerie is my name."

Sam grunted, questions swirling behind her brilliant blue orbs.

"I know you want to ask me more," Val whispered brokenly. "But please... please don't. I can't tell you any more, please don't ask me."

Her lover regarded her intently, and then nodded. "Just the one question, an' then I'm done."

Val drew in a shaky breath. "Alright. Just the one."

Sam glanced over at her shopping bags with a grin. "Why blue coveralls?"

The petite woman let out a shocked laugh. "Why blue? Well, _bang jiar_ (lover)," she smirked, crawling over onto Sam's lap and gazing up into her expressive eyes, "didn't I tell you? Blue is my new favorite color."

As their lips slowly met and she felt the familiar electricity shoot through her body with the contact, Val had one last coherent thought before things heated up further.

 _I do so rutting love blondes, but this one? This one is all mine._


	7. Chapter 7

"You ever thought 'bout makin' a family someday?"

The question startled Val out of her relaxed enjoyment of her morning cup of jasmine tea. She and Sam had been sitting together for her morning shift on the bridge, her with her tea and the blonde mechanic with her coffee. They'd been talking about several nonsensical topics, just enjoying each other's company, but she'd not had any indication their conversation might take such a serious turn.

Her first instinct was to simply laugh and blow the question off with a careless answer, but she stopped herself. She'd been making a serious effort not to put up any sort of facade, to express her real feelings and thoughts. _Besides, she knows me well enough now that she can tell when I'm faking. The look of hurt in her blue eyes is more than I can take._

"I might have, long ago. But... what I was, what I became... Having a family was a liability." The petite brunette looked out of the viewport musingly. "I've never been... attached to someone before. I can't possibly fathom..." She sighed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. _Being truthful is difficult._

She felt Sam's strong fingers run through her brown tresses before she noticed that she'd even gotten out of her seat. _Have I really become that relaxed around her?_ She didn't open her eyes, but instead allowed the soothing motions to return her back to her previous relaxed state.

"Weren't meanin' ta get ya worked up none," Sam whispered softly in her ear. "I gots better ways of doin' that."

Val let out a snort of laughter. "Very much so," she murmured. "However, while the Captain might tolerate our locking the engine room door while you're on shift, I imagine he'd have a different opinion if we were to do that on the bridge."

"Mmm," her lover sighed, brushing Val's cheek with her lips and causing her to shudder deliciously. "Well, then, you'll just hafta 'magine me gettin' ya all worked up proper-like."

She opened her eyes then, staring up into her favorite bright blue irises. "You always work me up. Proper-like."

Sam grinned as she leaned in for a kiss. "I'll make an honest Border woman outta ya yet," she murmured against her lips.

They shared a brief, tender kiss before Sam leaned back with a satisfied smile and returned to her seat. "Coffee's gettin' cold," she complained as she picked up her mug.

"I see how it is," Val joked with a sigh. "Already the temperature of your coffee is more important than the temperature of your girlfriend."

"Ain't true a'tall," Sam smirked. "Yer always smokin' hot."

The brunette snorted another laugh. Unfortunately she'd been taking a sip of her tea, and managed to snort some of said beverage through her nose.

"Ewww," Val complained quietly, holding her hand under her face. "That was..." She looked over at Sam, who was laughing hysterically, clutching her sides and trying very hard not to fall out of the chair.

" _Piyan_ (asshole)," she smiled as she rose from her chair. "Just for that you can stay on my watch while I go clean up."

Sam acquiesced with a merry wave, unable to form a coherent word just yet.

By the time she returned, having cleaned off her light blue coveralls as well as her face, Sam was still giggling slightly. "It wasn't really all that funny," Val said loftily. She was unable to keep the smile off of herself, however.

An hour later Sam was perusing her Waves from her family, catching up with events back on Hera, while Val read through a systems manual of the avionics electrical systems.

Eventually, Sam looked up from her reading with a slight grin on her face. "Hey, babe... There's somethin' interestin' here."

"What's that, _wo de ai_?"

"My pop, he sez there's a sale goin' on the next month'r so over at the big ole boneyard right there on Hera. Fer ships."

Val blinked, setting down her handheld and giving her girlfriend her full attention. "Are they now," she said softly. "Are you saying... it's time?"

"I dunno," Sam whispered back. "Seems almost providence-like, we're headin' fer Hera right now, an' I gots this Wave from my pop. You've been on board fer almost a year now, figure that's more'n repayment of yer debt to the Capt'n. An 'sides," she grinned fully, "I wanna take ya ta meet my folks."

Val blinked once again, startled. "You... you do? Is that the sort of thing people do, meet their lover's family?" She blinked a few more times, trying to process this turn of events.

"Well, yeah," the blonde smirked at her. "Family's impor'nt ta me. An' I want 'em ta meet the girl who done stole my heart."

With those words, Val melted a little more inside. _I can never deny you anything_ , she decided in that instant. "Alright then, we'll go meet your family. Um," she paused, mentally returning to their previous topic. "Are we leaving the _Ferryman_ for good then? Or should we go and look into this boneyard first?"

"We gots a few days still, lemme Wave 'im back, ask 'im ta check out what they gots," Sam replied confidently. "He gots a good eye fer quality, be it critters or machines."

The next two days passed quickly enough. There were always duties to perform in keeping the large freighter running smoothly. But they had plenty of downtime as well, only some of which was taken in the recreation area. The two lovers spent much more time in their bunk together, as was their habit.

By the second day, while they were still another full day out from Hera, Sam bounced excitedly onto the bridge while Val had her shift. "Babe, I gots another Wave from my pop!"

Val quickly sat up in her chair. Her girlfriend's enthusiasm was infectious, and she found herself nodding eagerly. "What did he say about the boneyard?" she whispered.

"There's a coupla good deals there," Sam began, dropping down to her knees next to the pilot's seat and holding up her handheld. "He took some pics. These ones here, they're inside our budget even."

Val's eyes widened as she perused the half-dozen or so images. They were all small transports from what she could tell. Her untrained eye really had no way of discerning one model from another, though. "Are they... all good ships?"

The blonde gave a throaty laugh. "Oh, darlin', most definitely. See this one here," she continued excitedly, "it's a _Shu Fu_ light transport, they call 'em Pillbugs, small lil' things but reliable as all get-out, plenty maneuverable an' a decent-sized hold. Then this one..."

Val sat back and basked in the glow of Sam's excitement. While she kept glancing down at the images, she devoted most of her attention to the way the blonde woman's face was so animated with glee. _I don't really care what kind of ship we end up with. So long as you like it, and I'm with you, that's all that matters to me._ Finally Sam stopped at the last picture, and Val actually peered closer at it.

"That one is pretty cute," she murmured.

"Cute?" Sam giggled. "Well yeah, I s'pose that's one way ta look at 'er. This's a _Sandfly_ light transport, it's small an' plenty gorram affordable. They built 'em ta replace th' old _Firefly_ Mark I's. See th' outboard engines here? They retract in while flyin'. An' the best part," she looked up intently at Val, her blue eyes sparkling, "it's an easy job fer just two crew ta keep runnin'."

"Really," Val mused, looking back at it. "I think... I think I really like that one. But, I really don't know any better," she backpedaled quickly, "You know so much more about ship classes and such, I shouldn't really have any sort of input-"

Sam cut her off by sealing her mouth over her own. The petite brunette moaned softly, losing herself in the feeling of those impossibly soft lips and silky warm tongue.

Val blinked as she realized that Sam had broken off the contact. "What was I saying?" she asked dazedly.

"You were sayin' some kinda _pi hua_ (shit, nonsense) 'bout yer opinion not bein' impor'nt," the blonde replied smugly.

"Oh," Val said softly, staring up at her lover. " _Pi hua_?"

Sam nodded. "Yep. _Pi hua_. Ya gots as much say in what we're doin', 'cause we're a couple, an' that's what we do. Figure things out t'gether."

"Alright then," she replied with a sappy grin on her face.

Both girls jumped slightly at the clearing of a throat behind them. They spun guiltily to notice the Captain sitting in his chair, though he had it swiveled to the side to overlook the navigation station.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, ladies," Markum began, turning his chair back around to face them, "but from what I did hear, as I walked onto the bridge, it sounds like you might be planning on leaving my ship. Is that correct?"

"Um, yessir," Sam gulped. Val nodded nervously next to her. She didn't realize they'd both gotten to their feet, but she reached over to slip her hand into Sam's, squeezing tight and getting an answering squeeze in return.

"Well, it will be a shame to lose the both of you," the man sighed heavily, "but I had a feeling this was coming. Well," he amended thoughtfully, "my wife had the feeling. I just listened to her this time." He looked up at both young women intently. "You have both been invaluable crew members. I feel honored to have had you on board, and I expect to hear from you in the future as to how well you are doing out in the 'Verse."

Val blinked back happy tears. "Thank you, Captain," she said softly.

Markum waved her away, seemingly embarrassed at the display of emotion. "I'm sure you have Waves to make. Val, I can take the rest of your shift. Both of you run along now."

Grinning, the two women started to head off of the bridge, though Sam paused to plant a kiss on Markum's weathered cheek. "Thanks, Capt'n," she whispered. Then, still holding hands, they ran off towards the crew area.

Captain Markum smiled softly to himself now that he was alone. _This is why we have no children,_ he thought to himself somberly. _Every crew I bring on board becomes part of my family. And it's difficult letting go. But worth the time together. I wish you all the best, girls._


	8. Chapter 8

**WARNING:** This chapter finally gets into some lemon territory. You've been warned. Hence the little word at the beginning there.

Val sat dejectedly at the small galley table with Sam. "Six gorram months," she sighed. "And we still are barely breaking even."

The start of their future together held such promise at first. Sam's family, remarkably enough, loved Val and welcomed her with open arms. It had made her slightly uncomfortable as she wasn't used to such, well, openness, but she only had to endure it for a few days. When they visited the boneyard, along with Sam's gruff but loving father, the couple were delighted to find that the small _Sandfly_ -class transport was still available. It had no shuttle but was otherwise ready to fly after a few required maintenance tasks. It had taken all of their combined funds to purchase, overhaul, provision, and fuel the little ship. But it was theirs, their new home. The name they settled on, _Willow_ , was both one of Sam's favorite types of tree that grew on the farmland she grew up on as well as her great-aunt's' name. Val thought it was a pretty name, and again boded well for their future together.

"That weren't the point none though, right?" Sam replied softly. "We're together. That's all that matters to me, babe."

Val smiled at the blonde woman who somehow had captured her heart completely, a fact remarkable to her still after the year and a half they'd been together. "I know, _wo de ai_. I'm just worried that one day we're going to fall behind." She sighed again, draining her cup of tea before getting up to place it in the sink. "I'll be on the bridge," she said over her shoulder.

The petite brunette flopped inelegantly down into the pilot's seat, looking over the console. _So far so good_ , she thought bemusedly. Scope was clear, they were still on track to deliver their highly profitable cargo of bobble-headed geisha dolls to the resort planet of Pelorum. She snorted to herself sarcastically.

Before she could delve further into her maudlin musings, a pair of strong hands slipped around the back of the chair and began to knead her shoulders. Val gave a shudder and closed her eyes, moaning softly.

"Ya need ta relax some," Sam whispered in her ear. "Have faith, love. It'll all work out."

"How do you know?" Val whispered back, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"'Cause I gots faith in us," Sam murmured. Her calloused hands slipped down until they were caressing Val's small breasts through her dark blue coveralls. Her moans increased in volume, and she arched her back slightly.

Sam rubbed her face alongside Val's cheek, and she could tell that her blonde girlfriend was smiling widely. With quick, nimble fingers, she worked the zipper in front with her right hand as her left continued their ministrations until her chest was uncovered. Val could feel her nipples pebble from the cool air, and Sam immediately took advantage of it by giving both of them a gentle pinch.

"Ooohh, Sam, _ta ma de_ (fuck me blind)..." Val hissed ecstatically.

She was practically at the bursting point already, and her hand involuntarily wandered down towards her crotch. She rubbed the outside of the bottom of her coveralls as she squirmed with pleasure at the caressing attentions Sam was giving her breasts.

Her blonde lover leaned over on her other side and nipped at her ear. "Unzip the rest of the way," she ordered, her voice dripping with anticipation.

Val eagerly obeyed, and arched her back some more as she complied.

"Now put yer fingers down yer front," Sam murmured against her neck. "I want ya ta get yerself off while I watch."

Val grinned to herself. _Well, that's new_. She did so, and dimly registered through the shock of pleasure Sam sucking gently on her neck. Her vision began to darken at the edges from her labored breathing, but before she could fully hyperventilate her lover found one particularly sensitive spot to bite, and she screamed out Sam's name before collapsing back against the chair. She was dazed and breathless, coming down from her high while Sam continued to hold on to her from behind.

Afterwards, Val stumbled to her feet, still panting slightly, and pushed a smirking Sam back. "You, bunk, now," she growled.

As soon as they walked the short distance to the bunk they shared, Val dropped to her knees and unzipped Sam's cargoes. With an abrupt yank she jerked her pants down, underwear and all.

The blonde let out a squeal of surprise at the quick motion, and, overbalanced, was easily pushed back onto the bed. She braced herself on her elbows to watch, with hungry eyes, Val crawl forward and in between her legs.

Without further ado the petite brunette pulled her hair back with one hand while wrapping the other around Sam's thigh. She leaned in and wasted little time in thoroughly devouring her lover.

Sam moaned incredulously at Val's enthusiasm. It wasn't long before her moans increased in both tempo and volume, changing from wordless pants to repeating " _Cao_ (fuck)" over and over again, crescendoing in a throaty scream of Val's name.

The couple ended curled up together on their bed, still partially clothed but very, very content.

"Feelin' better now, beautiful?" Sam whispered while gently stroking her arm.

"Much," Val sighed, snuggling back into her lover's arms. "You always make me feel better."

"An' I always will, babe," her wonderful blonde chuckled softly.


	9. Chapter 9

The job had started out simply enough.

They'd been contracted to deliver a cargo of cheap textiles to Sho-Je Downs. The dustball of a planet was particularly inhospitable, but no more so than the residents, as the two women were beginning to gather.

"Look, _pengyou_ (friend), the problem with fifty a crate is that it ain't seventy a crate, an' that's what we're expectin'," Sam tried to calmly explain to the scruffy-looking buyer. They had landed the _Willow_ at the agreed-upon field, far away from any prying eyes, and Val was beginning to suspect there were more ulterior motives for the location. "This ain't a negotiation, we're just shippin' the product, ain't controllin' the price'r sellin' it any."

The grizzled, lanky man squinted at the pair and spat a wad of phlegm onto the dirt next to him. "Well, missie, that ain't the way I'm seein' it. If'n ya don' like them numbers, ya c'n just _nigeiwogun_ (get out of my sight)."

His partner, an even more unsavory-looking character, if that were possible, looked the two young women over with a leer. "Or mebbe we just take what we want, y'all keep pushin' us on this."

Val could hear her lover start to growl in the back of her throat, and saw out of the corner of her eye that the mechanic's right hand had started to twitch over her pistol. The other pair also noticed, and grinned anticipatorily as their hands started to slowly move towards their own holsters.

The petite brunette, dressed in her powder-blue coveralls, laid a firm hand on Sam's left arm as she stepped forward.

"Gentlemen. You do not want to push us any further with this."

"Oh yeah, _ni zi_ (little girl)?" the first man asked. "An' why not, 'xactly? Only one of ya with a gun, an' there's two of us."

 _Well, he can count to two. That's more than I was expecting._ "Yes, my partner is the only one visibly armed. She's quite fast on the draw, and I guarantee one of you would be dropped before you are able to draw your own weapons. So, which one of you is willing to die today? You?" She looked pointedly at the first man, who seemed to be losing interest in a conflict. "Or you?" The second man still seemed to be itching for a fight, perhaps he was the one that needed to be leaned on a little more.

"Do you have family at home? Children, a wife?" She noted his eyes widened slightly at the mention of a wife, and gave him a small nod. "How do you think she will feel once your partner here shows up on her doorstep to tell her you'd been slain in a wholly preventable altercation?"

Both of the men seemed to be willing to back down, she just needed to give one more small push. "One final point, if I may. As I mentioned earlier, my partner is the only one visibly armed. Emphasis on the 'visibly'." She smirked very slightly, her brown eyes filled with the promise of impending death. "How do you know I would not be able to drop the both of you before you even twitched?"

The two men glanced at each other, the second one shrugging his capitulation. "Alright, girl. We'll give y'all yer seventy per crate."

"Thank you, sir. We appreciate your business." She remained cool and collected until the coin had exchanged hands and the two men left to fetch their ground transport and pull it up to their _Sandfly_ transport.

"I ain't quite wrapped my head 'round what ya just done," Sam murmured quietly at her side. "But somethin's tellin' me ya just bluffed in a big way."

"Possibly," Val smirked. "But I'm fairly good at reading people when I try. I could tell how to get them to back down.

The unloading proceded quickly enough, though Val felt next to useless at times. Even with another set of helping hands, she almost dropped every crate she attempted to carry. Eventually Sam politely asked her to just stand by the cargo bay door controls.

Chagrined, the petite brunette complied and stood by to watch the other three finish up. It was possible they were able to do so much more rapidly without her in the way.

Eventually the two men departed, cheerfully enough that it seemed as if their earlier confrontation never happened. Sighing, Val hit the door control once Sam was back on board.

"I'm sorry, _wo de ai_ , I'm just not strong enough-"

Once again Sam halted the self-recrimination with the simple expedient of a kiss. Val was beginning to suspect a pattern in such cases, but she couldn't really find it in herself to complain.

After Val pulled back, she stared breathlessly up into her favorite bright blue eyes. "Perhaps I shouldn't be so down on myself," she commented wryly.

"Mebbe," Sam smirked. "But I like the way I c'n distract ya."

The petite brunette shared a giggle with her blonde lover, and they started up the stairs together, holding hands.

"Val," the mechanic began hesitantly once they reached the top hallway. "Why doncha ever carry a gun? I c'n buy one fer ya if'n we need ta."

She froze, tightening her grip on Sam's hand. _Should I tell her? What if, somehow, it gets back to us, that she knows? What if it changes how she feels about me?_

The answers weren't forthcoming, and she couldn't figure out a way to answer truthfully, but she didn't want to lie or mislead the woman next to her either. The conundrum spun itself around in her brainpan until her breathing increased and she was on the verge of a panic attack.

"Hey, babe," Sam said, her anxious face leaning over into Val's field of vision. "It's okay, ya don' need to answer none, alright? Just... just breathe, calm down, yer gettin' me all worried here..."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Val paused and gulped down a big breath of air, trying to slow down her heartbeat again. "I can't..."

"Shhh," the blonde consoled, gathering the small woman into a tight hug. "Don' you worry none. If'n this's one a' these things ya can't talk 'bout none, then so be it. It's okay, babe."

"I can't lie to you," Val almost sobbed into Sam's white tank top. "But I just can't... I just want to leave it all in the past. Why does it keep coming up?"

"'Cause it's who you are, part of ya," Sam whispered. "I ain't gonna love ya any less fer what ya done 'fore I met up with ya, alright?"

Val sniffled. _You say that now, but would you still feel the same way after I revealed it all to you?_ "I don't deserve you," she murmured brokenly.

"An' now that's just _feng li_ (crazy) talk. 'Course ya deserve me, just as much as I deserve a wonderful, sweet, carin' woman like yerself who just so happens ta be ruttin' hot in bed."

The brunette snorted a laugh, which turned into a giggle. "I love how strong you are," she sighed. "Not just physically, but you... you've become my rock. Does that make any sense?"

Sam laughed quietly, her husky voice echoing against Val's ear as she pressed it against her chest. "Well then, I s'pose that makes you my sunshine. 'Cause everythin's brighter when yer in my life an' next ta me."

In all of her, admittedly short, life, Val had never had such a sweet thing said to her.


	10. Chapter 10

Val was having serious misgivings about returning to Persephone.

It had been long enough that there shouldn't be anyone looking for her anymore. And the life of an honest trader also shouldn't interact with anyone from her prior life.

 _Shouldn't_.

Her main concern, of course, was Sam. She didn't think she could find the will to go on if anything were ever to happen to the muscular blonde mechanic. It sounded overly dramatic even in her own mind, but this wonderful woman who she'd somehow stumbled across became exactly what she'd needed. A reason to live, not just go through life, which was all she had been doing up to that point. Now that she'd had a taste of what such a life could entail, what was life worth living without it?

The petite brunette shook her head irritably. Giving thought to such maudlin ideas did nothing productive. All it did was send her mind off to places she'd rather not dwell in anymore.

Still, they were due to land at Eavesdown Docks within the next hour or so. And the misgivings simply would not go away.

She sat on the bridge, watching the planet grow ever larger in her viewport, and a small part of her wished for something, anything, to intervene.

Val hadn't even completed her errant thought before the bridge lights stuttered and red lights started to flash on her console. " _Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng_ (frog-humping son of a bitch)!" she exclaimed. "I didn't mean it! I swear to Buddha, I didn't mean it!"

Her hands quickly flew across the board, accessing the damage control displays and diagnostics. What she saw made her eyes grow wide.

She grabbed the handset to the left of her and clicked the button for the intercom. "Sam, why are _Willow_ 's thrusters not working?"

It took a second for the response to come back to her. "Workin' on it, babe!" Her girlfriend sounded out of breath, and perhaps a little bit panicked.

Val rapidly started to slap at buttons to silence the alarms that had begun to wail. The bridge lights were still flickering intermittently, but once the alarms were off she could hear from behind her the sounds of more alarms coming from the engine room, and below it a constant stream of Mandarin cursing.

Realizing there was little she could do from here, Val vaulted from her seat and dashed towards the rear of the ship. I was a relatively short trip, passing by their bunk hatch, the stairwell entrance, and then the tiny galley area before she was standing at the entryway to the engine room. She stopped there, mouth agape.

The normally neat and tidy engine room was a mass of chaos. Wires were strewn everywhere, and there was wisps of smoke curling up towards the ceiling ventilators. Bright alarm warnings were flashing on the wall panels and she could see her lover's legs poking out from under the accelerator core.

"Sam!" she screamed. "What can I do to help!"

There was a bright spark that made the mechanic jump. " _Ta ma de diyu_ (fucking hell)!" she bellowed angrily. "Babe, ain't nothing ta help with right now, 'ceptin' mebbe some prayers might not be amiss!"

Val's stomach dropped right onto the deck. If her girlfriend was asking for prayers, they were surely humped. "What happened?" she yelled, panic starting to bubble up to replace her digestive processes.

"Main coiler assembly failed! Ain't somethin' we carry a backup fer 'cause it's so gorram expensive!" She yelped again as another spark flashed. "Gorramit! Yeah, started out with th' outboard capacitor, had a short, an' then just escalated from there!"

"Sam, _wo de ai_ , I can't maneuver without thrusters! We're pointed right at Persephone!"

"I know, babe! I know!"

Val had never felt so helpless in all her life. Even when trapped in her former life, she always had an escape plan, one which she eventually enabled. But right now, they were stuck on a ship hurtling towards a fiery end, with no shuttle...

"Sam!" she yelled. "We have escape pods!"

She heard more indeterminable Mandarin before her girlfriend spoke up again. "Just sit tight, I gots this _lian ren_!" she finally hollered.

There were a few more sparks, a few more flashes of light, and plenty of tendrils of smoke that were beginning to make Val's eyes tear up, but there was no way in _diyu_ she was about to leave her lover's side. Finally, the alarms seemed to recede, one at a time that went from angry red to a more sullen amber. A few even had the temerity to switch over to green.

"Okay!" Sam yelled, jumping up and startling the diminutive pilot. The blonde rushed over to the panel and started to toggle switches until more of them started to show green. "Right, babe get us down fast as you c'n, _dong ma_ (understand)? We ain't gonna have what we gots fer much longer!"

"I'm on it!" Val barked back, and spun around to sprint back to her chair. By this point the planet was looming large in the viewscreen and lights were flashing urgently concerning their approach, some of which indicated that a very irate and concerned traffic controller wanted to reach her immediately. She jumped into her seat, strapped in and grabbed the handset again, this time dialing up the Eavesdown Docks Control Tower.

"Eavesdown Docks, this is _Sandfly_ transport _Willow_ , on emergency approach," she quickly recited, overriding any of the controllers queries. "We've had thruster loss, but we've got a temporary patch in place. We need to set down, now, give me a beacon please!"

"Roger that _Sandfly_ transport, follow beacon Alpha Nine Eight down. We'll have emergency crews standing by."

"Thank you!" she cheered before tossing the handheld back into the holder. _Alright Valerie, you can do this, this is what you trained for..._ A small part of her worried that she might not be up to this really, or that her failure would kill not only her but her lover. The rest of her squashed that voice and pushed it aside, having quickly determined there was no time for doubts right now.

Val took hold of the controls with her right hand to steady the ship as they were about to enter atmo. The left she kept poised on the main thruster controls, waiting for the last possible minute to rotate and engage them. If Sam was right, she wouldn't have them for very long after they fired.

With an audible _boom_ and a shudder felt throughout the ship, the _Willow_ broke through into the atmo of Persephone. She watched the altimeter as it flew by, grimly counting down until she didn't think there was any more of a safety margin left. Then she slammed down the rotator lever, aiming the main thrusters forward, and pushed the thruster controls all the way forward. Both hands were needed now to keep the ship steady, and she could feel the sweat dripping down her face from the tension.

The altimeter continued to spin downward, slowing just a little bit before she could feel the pressure against her harness. She spun the thrusters again to point down, firing the maneuvering thrusters to point the nose back up. _Almost there, almost there, come on my sweet girl we're almost there..._

Five meters from the ground, Sam's patch job finally gave out.

The thruster lights went out, the control stick went slack in her hands, and alarms began to blare again. With a thunderous force that rattled Val's teeth, the _Willow_ finished her landing, unpowered. Fortunately the landing gear absorbed most of the impact, but she could hear the crashing noises throughout the ship behind her.

She frantically fumbled with the harness to release her, and then jumped out of her seat to go check on Sam.

Only to slam into her as she was sprinting towards the bridge.

They ended up on the floor of the bridge, Val on the bottom. "Are you... are you alright?" she managed to squeak out.

"I'm... _gao yang jong duh goo yang_ (motherless goats of all motherless goats). Yeah, I'm good." Sam leaned up off of her, her face hovering just above her own. "You?"

Val leaned her head up and brushed her lips against Sam's. "Just fine, now."

" _Wo kao_ (holy shit), babe, that was..." Sam trailed off, shaking her head.

" _Huaidan_ (badass)?" the petite brunette smirked.

The blonde mechanic barked out a laugh. "Yeah. _Huaidan_." She sighed and rested her forehead against Val's. "We're alive."

"That we are, _wo de ai_. That we are." _And on a very broken ship_ , Val thought morosely.

But they were alive.


	11. Chapter 11

Val and Sam sat together in a dingy bar located somewhere deep inside the warrens that made up Eavesdown Docks. Val had picked it out, much to Sam's chagrin, but not based upon the shady clientele or the poor quality of the local homebrew. Nor did she take into account the general apathy of the establishment's employees. She also managed to ignore the several layers of sticky grime that seemed to coat every surface in sight, including the dirty and chipped mugs.

What interested Val the most was that this was a location she was fairly sure would be well outside the territory of anyone who had ever known her on this planet.

She'd set herself up against the wall at the small table she selected in one of the dimmest parts of the bar. Settling down in her chair, the petite brunette winced slightly as she felt her coveralls adhere to the seat.

Her blonde lover sat across from her, unable to keep the revolted look off of her face. "Babe, this's beyond disgustin'."

"I know, _wo de ai_. I just..." Val glanced up sharply as a shabby customer staggered in from off of the streets and lurched up to the bartender, bawling for a drink.

Sam reached across the table to set her hand on Val's arm, careful not to touch the table's surface in case it trapped her like a fly in warm amber. "Look, I know yer just bein' all cautious-like, but it's been a coupla years now. D'ya really think ya need to worry so much? Ain't there a chance the folk yer worried 'bout have fergotten all 'boutcha?"

"They never forget," Val whispered, then let out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry, Sam. We shouldn't have even left the ship."

Sam snorted, leaning back in her chair. "Ain't much of a ship if'n it can't fly none." Her eyes narrowed as she realized the mistake in her motion, and sat forward again to peel her tank top off of the chair's back. "'Sides which, I'm with ya, an' I c'n take care of ya."

The diminutive pilot smiled gently at her wonderful, courageous, but sadly disillusioned girlfriend. _If only it were that easy_. "Let's just hope this contact shows up with work we can use."

Sam snorted again. "Five folk in five days. Two wanted us ta sign 'em on as partial owners of the _Willow_ , one didn' even show up none, an' nother just laughed in our faces." She shook her head bemusedly. "My personal fav'rite was the one who wanted us fer our more feminine, er, assets."

Val laughed. "I think the broken nose you left him with would dissuade any more such 'offers', _lian ren_."

The muscular blonde sighed, toying with her mug of highly questionable liquid that the bartender claimed to be beer, frowning as she realized it'd already been absorbed by the table's surface and would not budge. "D'ya think mebbe we should think 'bout givin' up on th' old girl? Ain't gonna be cheap, fixin' 'er up... We could find 'nother freighter, sign on as crew..." She trailed off disconsolately.

"I don't want that any more than you do," Val replied with a quirk of her lips. "She's our home. I'm not giving up on her any more than I'm ever going to give up on you."

Sam looked over at her with a smirk. "Well, good thing I'm just as stubborn as y'are, babe."

The bar quieted then as several large men entered the establishment. They all looked to be brawlers and were visibly armed. Spying the pair of spacers at the table, they headed over.

"Sam..." the brunette whispered.

"Yeah, I see 'em, babe." She rested her hand on the old revolver at her side. "Hope this ain't some sorta setup."

The five spread out to surround the table that the two women sat at but did not make any threatening moves. The one in the middle spoke up with a surprisingly resonant voice. "Ladies. My employer wishes ta speak with y'all. If'n you'd accompany us, please?"

Val shared a glance with Sam, who shrugged back. "Well, since ya asked so nicely, we'd be pleased as pie ta do so. Um, ya might need ta give us a few ta extract ourselves outta these here chairs..."

Fifteen minutes later saw the group enter through what appeared to be an old sewer grating. Sam walked protectively close to Val, keeping her gun hand free and seeming to watch every muscle twitch and nuance displayed by the five henchmen.

Val actually found it to be pretty adorable.

They were led through a passageway that smelled of harsh cleaning agents that, unfortunately, could not fully cover up the lingering odors of refuse. Val wrinkled her nose slightly at the smell, and could tell that the blonde at her side was breathing shallowly through her nose.

Eventually reaching a doorway, two of the men turned to block their path forward while the leader, the only one who had spoken so far, glanced over his shoulder before walking through. " _Deng yi miao_ (hold on a sec)," he ordered.

Val risked a quick look over her shoulder, noting that the last two members of their escort had filled the passageway behind them, blocking the exit.

They only stood there for perhaps a minute before the man returned, motioning them forward. Val walked behind Sam and into the chamber, stepping around then to behold one of the oddest people she'd ever laid eyes on.

The little man sat behind a desk but got to his feet as they entered. He wore a crushed black derby on his head and a woolly three-piece suit over a dirty tee shirt. He smiled widely, displaying a set of mismatched teeth that somehow suited the spotty facial hair on his cheeks.

"Ah, now 'ere's the pair of lovely lil' birds I've been dyin' ta meet," he effused, walking around the desk. "Please, have a sit. I think we gots business to discuss, eh?"

Val and Sam perched on the edge of the loveseat that the skinny little man indicated, sitting close enough to each other that he smiled knowingly at them. "I s'pose what I heard was true then, ain't just partners, arya?"

The two women glanced bemusedly at each other. "No, we're a couple," Val assured him. "Um, we didn't catch your name, sir."

"Ah, my apologies! My Mum'd be plain embarrassed at the sight of me. Name's Badger, luv. An' I aim ta fix the lil' situation ye've got yerselves inta. Tea?"

Sam snickered. "Love some, thanks."

Val looked sideways at her, suspicious of her sudden acquiescence to formality, but then she caught the aroma coming off of the pot that the small girl was pouring in front of them. Evidently Badger liked his tea with a little bit of a punch. She took a cautious sip, and blinked as the powerful alcohol burned its way down her throat. "That's... very nice," she said hoarsely.

"Trick of it is the wood alcohol," Badger winked at her. He settled back into his chair and smiled genially, sipping his own cup. "Now, then, my lovelies, why doncha tell me how yer poor boat ended up in the sad shape it's found 'erself in."

Sam sat forward and launched into the story of their harrowing landing while Val slowly sipped at her spiked tea. It really was surprisingly good. She also let her eyes roam about to take in the small man's office. There was a portly accountant typing away in a small alcove, studiously seeming to ignore them, but she could tell he had an ear on their conversation. She also spotted the sidearm he was keeping in arms reach beneath a stack of papers.

There were several doors bordering the room. All of which were ever so slightly cracked open and likely with a bodyguard or armed thug waiting behind them. The only door that seemed to be actually secure was the one they had entered in from.

Next she took in the furnishings and decorations. Most were somewhat tasteful, even if a bit gaudy. They were obviously from all across the 'Verse, from Sihnon silks to a little contraption that looked to be an apple-peeler which she believed was manufactured out on Beaumonde. It showed discreet wealth, but more than that, a surprisingly powerful reach.

Once Sam finished her tale, concluding with the need to fix their ship before they would be able to do any more jobs, but faced with little funds to do so, the little man glanced over at Val. "An' you, luv. Been awfully quiet over there, enjoyin' my 'ospitality. But I seen ya casin' my fine office out. What of yer opinion of yer situation, eh?"

Sam glanced over at the petite brunette, her eyebrows raised in surprise, but Val nodded her consent. "I don't have much to add, Mr. Badger. But, while I know you are able and willing to help us, I'm not sure if we should be accepting it."

Her blonde lover gave a soft squawk of protest, but Badger just chuckled and leaned back in his overstuffed chair. "An' why ever not, luv?"

"You're certainly a criminal," Val began neutrally, looking down into the cup she was cradling. "I imagine you run a group of smugglers. Shipping things discreetly for people, whatever they may be, a middleman of a sort. Obviously you've been successful to date, as your office has a lived-in look to it. I'd estimate at least five years running now, that's impressive in your line of work. So while employment with you would be both lucrative and consistent, it would also be illegal, and subsequently dangerous. And I don't know if I can accept that sort of danger for myself or my girlfriend."

She spared a glance over at Sam, who was staring at her with her mouth hanging open in astonishment, but her gaze snapped back to Badger as he began to chuckle, then laugh uproariously. He finally settled down, wiping his eyes with the grungy sleeve of his suit. "Ah, now I knew ye'd be a sharp one, luv. Could tell soon as ya walked in my door. Not as pretentious as some I've done business with, but a right smart bird, aren't ya?"

He leaned forward, carefully placing his cup on the small table before them and folding his hands in his lap. "To business then. All cards on the table, as it were. Lemme tell you what I'm offerin' an' you two lovelies c'n take a spell to consider, yeah?"

Sam nodded, still somewhat dumbfounded, and Val matched her motion. "We're certainly willing to listen, Mr. Badger."

"None of that, lass. Just Badger," the small man chuckled. "Now, I'm willin' ta float yer repair costs, as well as the back fees building up for your dockin'. In return, you'd work the debt off by runnin' some errands an' jobs fer me. I'll cover normal operatin' costs, fuel, dockin' fees, tariffs, sustenance an' the like, but no more."

Sam cleared her throat nervously. "An' we'd get no say in the cargo we carry?"

"Got it in one, luv," Badger replied with a wink. "Now, you both take some time, think onnit. Sit down an' come up with the cost ta fix yer lovely lil' _Sandfly_ boat. If'n yer able to come up with 'nother option, well, no hard feelin's. But I'll be dropping by on the morrow fer yer answer, to be sure."

Val nodded firmly as she stood, pulling Sam up with her. "We appreciate the offer, as well as the time to consider it. Until tomorrow, then."

"Indeed, luv, til the morrow."

The pair of women left Badger's den and slowly made their way back to the docks and the _Willow_. While Val was sure her head was swirling with conflicted thoughts just as much as Sam's was, she was also careful to keep an eye on their surroundings as well as for anyone attempting to follow them. She did note one man from the original five who was following them, but he was being obvious about it. She wondered idly if it was to guarantee the safety of Badger's potential investment, or to ensure they didn't just cut and run. Perhaps both.

"Val," her blonde mechanic started softly. "I ain't seein' any other option."

She sighed in reply. "Nor do I, _wo de ai_."


	12. Chapter 12

Val sat at the controls while gingerly maneuvering the _Willow_ down through the torrential rainstorm. She was mostly navigating through beacons alone as visibility was nearly zero. Perfect weather for an illicit rendezvous.

She nudged the nimble _Sandfly_ gently and managed to set her down right in the middle of the target field on Three Hills inside the Georgia system. At least, she hoped she was in the middle.

Keeping the engines running in case they needed to make a fast getaway, she unbuckled herself and hurried down the stairwell towards the cargo bay. Halfway down she heard the grinding noise of their ramp lowering, although the door was still sealed.

"Are our unsavory clients present?" she quipped down into the bay.

"Ready an' waitin'," Sam laughed back. As was her usual now, she had her Moses Brother's revolver strapped to her hip as she stood by the door mechanism. She slapped her hand down and was answered by the groan of metal as the doors slowly receded.

Three forms hurried inside and out of the pouring rain. As they removed their headgear, Val noted that one of them was a woman, a rather striking-looking brunette. The other two seemed to be her bodyguards. They were cast from the same mold near enough, stocky and muscled with buzz cuts and clean-shaven faces. Both looked around warily, and immediately spied Val on the steps. She kept one hand on the railing and waved politely with the other, trying to be as innocuous as possible, but one of the burly men kept an eye on her nonetheless.

"Are you prepared for this exchange?" the woman asked Sam in a smooth, cultured voice.

"Yes, ma'am," her blonde lover replied politely. "I have yer merchandise right in this crate here, an' we gots the room fer the six we're s'posed ta pick on up."

The woman looked around then, nodding in satisfaction at the condition of their cargo area. _Yes, we keep a clean ship. Not your average rag-tag smuggling ship, are we?_

"Very well," the client responded crisply, and snapped her fingers. Two more men, bundled up against the rain, walked through the door from where they must have been waiting on the ramp. They picked up the crate with a grunt and maneuvered it out. Within five minutes they were back lugging another crate, this one twice the size of the one they had received but seemingly not any heavier.

"Are you at all curious about what the cargo is?" the statuesque brunette said idly.

"As a rule, no ma'am," Sam said, standing by the door controls still with her arms crossed. Val was rather thankful that, for the most part, they didn't have to involve themselves with the loading or unloading of cargo. This was the sixth run they'd made for Badger, and for every one they had studiously avoided even hypothesizing as to what their manifest was. Both of the women agreed it was likely better for their sanity that way.

In a way, Val had been pleasantly surprised so far. While she was certain that the majority of their shipments had been of an illegal variety, especially seeing as how they were always picked up or delivered in an out-of-the-way location, there hadn't been any attempt to negotiate prices or offer up any violence at all. The first three times she'd stood by Sam's side, her heart in her throat, as they prepared to meet with the clients, but all had been smooth as silk.

Of course, even thinking of such details usually brought bad luck down upon the curious.

The last crate was settled into their hold and the client was smiling her thanks when the sounds of gunfire reached Val's ears. She started forward, alarmed at the proximity of the noise to their ship, when she saw the bodyguards hustle the woman out in between them, guns drawn. "Sam?" she called out questioningly, attempting to keep the panic out of her voice.

"Not sure, babe, I ain't seein' any..."

Sam's words were cut off as she suddenly lunged to the deck, narrowly missing the hail of bullets that entered the bay. Val gave an alarmed squawk and started down again, concerned for her girlfriend.

"Val!" the woman in question called out, huddled behind a shipping container with her gun out and held ready. "Get us in the gorram air!"

 _Right, in the air, that'd be my job. I'm the pilot._ She was startled by how easy it'd been to lose track of her responsibilities when it seemed Sam's life was threatened. But seeing as how she was unarmed, the best thing she could do was to follow the mechanic's instructions and get them in the gorram air.

She spun and nimbly raced up the steps, her feet barely touching the ground as she sped into the bridge. Not bothering to strap in, she quickly rotated the engines and got the _Willow_ moving off of the ground and drifting slightly to the side. She really, really hoped there weren't any structures nearby that she might ram into, as visibility was still sorely lacking. _How could they even see to have a firefight?_

Before long she had the thrusters running full power and they began to quickly gain altitude. She glanced over to note the green light indicating that the cargo ramp was up and the doors sealed. She fumbled for the intercom, her hand trembling from the adrenaline. "Sam? Are you okay?"

She paused but didn't get an answer. " _Ta ma de diyu_ (fucking hell)," she muttered, stress lacing her features. "Sam! Where are you?"

"Right here, babe," a weary voice answered. Val almost jumped out of her chair in joy at the sight of her blonde lover settling into the copilot's seat, but fortunately remembered to keep her hands on the controls while they broke atmo. "Ain't heard ya cuss like that often," Sam added wryly. "Ya weren't concerned-like fer me none, were ya?"

Val let out an exasperated sigh. "Of course I was you _lan ren_ (loon)," she retorted. "If anything happened to you..." The emotion in her throat choked off her words and she just shook her head, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Hey, hey, _zhi'ai_ (most beloved)," Sam said softly, moving over to kneel next to the petite brunette. "It's alright, we got away just fine, just a lil' disagreement that had nothin' ta do with us. We're in the clear, yeah?"

"This time," Val replied softly, leaning into Sam's hand as the blonde reached over to cup her cheek. "What about the next? How long until our luck runs out and we meet someone we can't run from? What about...?"

Sam moved her hand to press her fingers against Val's lips, quieting her panicked words. "It's a risk of life, yeah. But I ain't ever gonna leave ya, _lian ren_. An' I ain't ever gonna let anything happen ta ya. So don' go gettin' all afeared fer nothin' alright?"

By this point they were outside of Three Hills' atmo. Sam removed her hand so that the diminutive pilot could lay in their course towards Persephone again and then fully turn around, the concern still evident on her face.

"You can't promise me that," Val said quietly.

"No, I can't none," Sam agreed. She leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "But I'm gonna do my gorramest ta make it so," she continued earnestly.

Val sighed, sitting back in her chair. "Perhaps we need to take on more crew," she mused.

"I like havin' just the two of us," Sam responded, sitting back on her heels. "'Sides, ya know anyone we c'n trust that much?"

The brunette shook her head mutely as Sam got to her feet.

"Val..." The blonde mechanic sighed, bracing herself visibly. "If'n yer that concerned 'bout our safety, mebbe ya needs ta carry a gun then."

"No!" Val replied vehemently, sitting up straight and looking over at Sam with pleading eyes. "I cannot... Please, there's no way I can carry a gun. I just... I can't."

" _Wo de ai_ , I know ya gots somethin' 'gainst them, an' I ain't claimin' ta understand it none, but it seems ta me it'd be an easy fix, yeah?" Sam's voice was slightly raised, seeming to gather her courage for this confrontation. Val's heart broke a little bit as she realized how long Sam had been keeping this bottled up.

"Sam, I... can't. I'm sorry, I'm so, so very sorry... but I promised... no. I just can't."

Her blonde lover snorted in exasperation and flung her hands up, surrendering the argument and storming off of the bridge.

Val buried her face in her hands, sobbing. _She doesn't know, she can't know what it would cost me..._ She sat like that for a few minutes until her tears ran dry. Sniffling, she wiped her face on her coverall sleeve and made sure the autopilot was engaged before rising from her seat. Moving on quiet feet she slipped down the short hallway and peeked around the corner into their bunk.

Sam was sitting on their bed, staring off into space with her bare feet crossed in front of her and her legs stretched out. She glanced up when Val poked her head around, and the blonde's frustrated expression softened as she saw her lover's face. "C'mere, babe," she said softly, patting the bed next to her.

The petite brunette obediently padded over, slipping her shoes off and settling onto her side, curling up with her head on Sam's lap. Val fisted her hand into the cargo pants on her girlfriend's thigh, while Sam began to run her fingers through her brown hair.

"Yer hair's gettin' longer," Sam commented quietly. "Almost down past yer shoulder blades now, ain't it?"

"Mmmhmm," Val replied. "Do you like it longer?"

Sam chuckled huskily. "I like everythin' 'bout ya, babe. You know that."

"Everything?"

"Everythin'."

They lay like that for some time until Sam gently pushed Val's head to the side. She got up and shed her clothes before turning to do the same for her brunette lover, and then slipped the covers over the two of them before holding her close to her warm body.

"I'm sorry, _wo de ai_ ," Val murmured into Sam's shoulder. "I still can't talk about some parts of my past. Talking about a thing can make it more real, and I don't want to jeopardize what we have. Does that make sense?"

"I s'pose so," Sam murmured back. "I hope, though, that you c'n trust me enuff with it someday."

Val listened to Sam's breathing as it slowed. She marveled at the woman that held her so tightly, even as she drifted off to sleep, and how desperately she needed her. How incomplete her life would be without her. _But how long until my past drives her away? If I tell her, she might leave me in disgust. If I don't tell her, she might leave me in frustration. I can't win._

She closed her eyes eventually as sleep crept up upon herself as well. Tears leaked out unconsciously from the corners of her eyes as visions of bloodshed, violence, and regret clouded her dreams that night.


	13. Chapter 13

On the beginning of their tenth run, right on Persephone where they should have been safe to pick up a cargo, Val and Sam finally got in over their heads.

In hindsight it wasn't really anything that they could have prevented. Somehow rivals of Badger's had ascertained where the pickup was to occur, and as the pair left the _Willow_ to make their rendezvous down in the warrens of Eavesdown Docks they were ambushed and captured by four armed men.

Sam had fought back ferociously, of course. The muscular mechanic hadn't had the chance to draw her gun before they were set upon, but she waded into the brawl with her fists swinging enthusiastically. Val looked on with wide eyes while one of the goons held her securely in his arms and another held a gun to her head. Her blonde lover almost managed to hold her own against the other pair of thugs but was clubbed from behind when one of them got his pistol out and held it by the barrel. Once she was down he quickly reversed his grip and pointed it down at Sam's groaning form.

"No, please!" Val screamed desperately. "Please don't kill her!"

The gunwielder glanced up at the petite brunette straining to reach the fallen woman, only considering for a heartbeat before stepping back and gesturing to the other man who was rubbing his jaw tenderly. "Bind 'er up an' bring 'em both along now."

A short while later they ended up at a nearby warehouse. Both Val and Sam were held tightly by their assailants, the former by the same man who'd kept an iron grip on both of her arms right from the start and the latter with her arms trussed up securely behind her back. The spiky-haired blonde was battered and bruised from her defiant stand, a cut on her forehead leaking a trickle of blood down to her chin and one _jingcai_ (brilliant) bruise forming on her cheekbone.

They had kept one man over by the door as lookout which left the original gun wielder, evidently their leader, to interrogate them.

"Now, girls," he began, pacing in front of them while tapping the gun he'd returned to his holster. "I know y'all c'n understand the situation yer in now. We ain't playin' 'round here. Th' only way yer gettin' outta this alive is ta answer my questions, _dong ma_?"

Fang pi _(bullshit). You will kill the both of us no matter if we tell the truth or refuse to answer._ Val glanced over and saw the same acknowledgement of the truth in her lover's bright blue eyes.

"Alls we need ta know is who yer employer is," the man continued. "I figure it's one a' three fellas local here, but I gots ta know who ta blackmail for 'is cargo I now gots my hands on." He stopped and peered into Sam's bruised face. "So who is it, girlie?"

The blonde smirked. "Actually, I understand it belongs ta the gov'ner hisself."

The man growled slightly and sharply backhanded her, snapping her head to the left abruptly. "Ya still think I'm playin' here? D'ya wants ta die?"

"Yer gonna shoot us one way or 'nother," Sam murmured, shaking her head groggily.

The man threw his head back and barked out a sharp laugh. "Alright, girlie, ya gots me there. Yeah, gonna kill the both of ya. Now, how painful it is, that all depends on yer cooperation."

Sam looked up at Val, stark defiance in her eyes still, and she nodded back in acceptance. _If we're going to die, we do so with dignity, not ratting out Badger. He gave us a chance when he didn't need to._

"I'm sorry, _wo de ai_ ," the petite brunette whispered hoarsely.

"Me too, babe," Sam whispered back. "Love ya."

"I love you too."

The man paced over towards Val and pulled his gun out, pointing it at her head. "Last chance, girls."

"Please don't do this, please don't do this," she murmured desperately, her eyes closed and tears leaking out from the corners. _We had our whole life ahead of us, it's not fair, it's so rutting unfair..._

She jumped slightly as she heard a shot echo throughout the warehouse. Startled, she opened her eyes again, not understanding why she was still alive, only to see Sam drop to her knees. Her beautiful blonde lover had her blue eyes open wide unbelievingly and blood was trailing down from the hole in her chest. Without a sound she toppled onto her side.

"Sam!" she screamed.

And then, something within Val snapped.

She brought her right foot down hard on the instep of the man holding her. As he grunted in pain and loosened his grip, she twisted to the side and rammed her elbow into his torso. She felt a satisfying _pop_ as a rib gave way. Before he could slump to the ground she slipped her right hand back and yanked the gun from his holster.

Bringing it up quickly she fired off a round at the leader, who was slow to bring his own gun around. The shot took him in the throat as she was rusty and fired a fraction of a second too early. She didn't make the same mistake with the man who had been holding on to Sam, and he fell backwards with a neat red hole between his eyes.

She spun wordlessly, her face a neutral mask, and placed another shot in the brainpan of the thug on the floor behind her. Hearing footsteps, she spun once again and saw the last man approach, his gun raised. She snapped off a pair of shots that made him stumble. He only got off a single round before it dropped from his hands as he slumped down to the ground with a large red stain spreading from his chest.

Val allowed a small feral smile to form on her lips, but then gave a weak cough. She looked down, stunned, to see blood seeping out from her stomach. _Oh, that's not good_.

She tried to take a step towards her lover but stumbled to her knees. The diminutive woman ended up crawling the rest of the way, painfully, until she could sit against the wall next to where Sam lay. With a groan of effort, Val lifted the blonde woman over so that her head was resting on her lap.

"Val?" she heard her whisper. "Didya... get 'em all?"

"I did, beautiful," Val whispered, tears streaming down her face from pain and sorrow.

Sam chuckled but winced from the effort. "Knew... ya had it... in ya..." she wheezed.

"I'm so, so sorry, _wo de ai,_ " Val said miserably, cradling Sam's head in her hands and softly stroking the fine blonde locks. "I should have... should have..."

"Shhh, it's okay," Sam murmured, her breathing becoming more shallow and labored. "It's all... good... I... love you, my... _zhen'ai_ (true love)."

"I love you too, my _zhi yin_ (soulmate)," Val sobbed. Her vision was becoming blurry as she felt her life draining out on the concrete floor. Dimly, as the darkness overtook her, she thought she might have heard footsteps and voices approaching, but she no longer cared about anything anymore.

 _It's all so rutting unfair..._


	14. Chapter 14

Val woke slowly, her head pounding. She tried to flutter her eyes open but the searing light made her head hurt even worse, so she kept them closed. Without making a sound she tried to ascertain where she was.

 _Antiseptic smell, beeping monitors... Definitely a hospital. But how am I still alive? How did I get here?_

She slowly moved her unencumbered left hand towards her stomach, feeling for the wound she took there. It was still bandaged and tender, but healed enough that it was obvious she'd been there at least a few days.

 _But what did it all matter anymore?_

"Hey, you," a soft voice called out from next to her.

Almost afraid to look in case it was all a hallucination, Val slowly cracked her watering eyes and turned her head to see Sam in the next hospital bed on her left. She was grinning tiredly at her. "Thought you'd never wake up," the blonde murmured. "Was gettin' bored here by myself."

"Sam?" she whispered. "How... what...?"

"I dunno, babe, nobody's talkin' to me 'bout anythin'," the blonde replied lightly. "Mighty closed-mouthed docs hereabouts."

Val blinked her eyes, still unbelieving. "I thought you died," she choked out.

"Toldya I weren't gonna leave ya none," Sam murmured back, the same tears falling from her eyes that Val knew were streaming out of her own.

The door at the foot of their beds opened and a nurse walked in briskly. "Ah, good, you're both awake now. Let me check your vitals."

The nurse proceeded to do so, briefly checking both of the invalid women's bandages and their monitor readings while deflecting their questions by means of simply ignoring them. With a satisfied nod she left, though Val could hear her speak before the door closed all the way behind her. "They're both awake now. You may see them."

Val reached her left hand out, grasping desperately, and was relieved to feel Sam's calloused and strong hand envelop her own. _It's okay, we're going to be okay. Nothing else matters, we're together and we're both alive._

After a moment's pause two people walked through the door. Their clothes practically screamed Federal Agent, though one was a lanky redhead with her hair trimmed fashionably short while the other was a man with a sloppy mop of black hair perched on his head like a bad toupee. Both of their suits were neatly pressed and the bulges of their sidearms were poorly concealed.

"Ladies," the man began. "I'm Agent Carter, this is Agent Mallory. We'd like to interview you on the circumstances that led up to your present condition."

"If I may, please," Val interrupted firmly, "can you tell us how we ended up here? I honestly thought we were both dead in that warehouse."

"I don't-"

The redhead cleared her throat before the man could finish. "I think we can accommodate that, so long as you subsequently cooperate with us fully."

Both Sam and Val nodded gratefully. "Yes, ma'am," Sam replied politely. "We'd be more'n happy to, if'n ya wouldn't mind sheddin' a lil' light fer us."

"We had security personnel roaming the warehouse district that evening," the woman began. "They were actually on the lookout for the four gentlemen that were found dead with you. All were wanted for various crimes against the Alliance. A patrol heard the shots and quickly arrived at the scene, where the two of you were discovered to be unconscious and close to death. They were able to stabilize you until the medical personnel could arrive."

"Thank you," Val said quietly. "And please thank them, if you would. We owe them our lives."

Agent Carter nodded brusquely as he pulled out a handheld. "Now then. Your ident cards claim that you are Valerie Zhihou and Samantha Raymer, is that correct?"

Both of the women nodded wryly, humorously acquiescing to being called by their full names.

"And can you tell us, please, how you ended up at that warehouse?"

"Certainly, Agent," Val replied calmly as she gave Sam's hand a gentle squeeze. "We both crew a small _Sandfly_ transport by the name of _Willow_. It's docked here at Eavesdown. We were contacted anonymously to pick up a cargo. The details would be worked out in person. When we arrived at the meet, we were ambushed by those four men."

"I see," Agent Mallory murmured skeptically. "So, you're both just a pair of honest merchants then?"

"Yes, ma'm," Sam replied earnestly. "Our papers're back on the ship, if'n ya wanna look 'em over."

The two agents shared a glance. "Legally, since what happened occurred off of your ship, we have no cause to examine your paperwork or to search it," the man said slowly.

"But we appreciate your offer," the redhead smiled. "Now, can you describe what happened in the warehouse?"

Val and Sam shared a look. "I think I got a gun away from one of them?" Val said slowly.

"I got shot first," Sam murmured, locking her blue eyes on the brunette.

"And I just started shooting wildly," Val murmured back. "I must have gotten lucky. Well," she amended, glancing back at the federal agents. "Perhaps not so lucky, as I got shot myself, obviously."

"Indeed," the man mused. "Five shots from the gun we found on the scene with your fingerprints, Miss Zhihou. All of those bullets made it into a target."

"Like I said," Val assured him softly. "Lucky."

"And do you know why they ambushed you?" Agent Mallory pressed.

Val shrugged, wincing slightly as the motion tugged at her stitches. "I assume they thought we had the money to purchase cargo. They were mistaken, we don't have the funds to outright buy our cargoes, we can only ship and return to the seller with their money."

Agent Carter cleared his throat. "Well, your financial records bear that out."

The other agent nodded firmly and straightened her jacket. "I think we're done here. We greatly appreciate your cooperation, as well as your assistance in bringing down a group of very dangerous criminals."

"I don' s'pose there's any reward fer takin' 'em down?" Sam asked hopefully.

The redhead snorted inelegantly. "I'm sorry, no. They weren't on the fugitive list."

"Figures," Sam muttered.

After another round of platitudes and offers of gratitude, the pair of federal agents left them alone once more. They were told that they were free to go about their normal business once they were discharged from the hospital, but they would contact them again via Wave if they had any follow-up questions.

"Well, I think that went better'n I expected," Sam said softly, looking up at the ceiling.

Val's only response was a choked sob as her emotions, so tightly contained until now, fully overwhelmed her.

"Babe?" the blonde asked curiously, glancing over.

She tried to answer, but all that came out was another sob, which cascaded into uncontrolled weeping as tears streamed down her face.

"Hey, _wo de ai_ , what's wrong?" Sam asked anxiously. "Talk to me, babe..."

As if the dam had finally opened, Val began to spill forth in a torrent of words interspersed between more sobbing.

"I was so afraid... afraid I'd lost the one person I- I- I really trusted," she stammered, her voice raw and hoarse. "And before I could ever let you... into my heart, and trust you fully... Oh, _wo de ai_ , I'm so sorry, I did trust you, really I did, I just was so afraid of losing you, and then I did, and it was all left unsaid..."

"Sweetie..." Sam interjected when Val paused to take a deep breath.

"I was Tong."

The blonde blinked her eyes at the revelation, but kept her mouth shut as Val finally laid her past bare.

"I was... I was an enforcer. An infiltrator of sorts." Val sighed, closing her eyes but unable to stop the flood of tears still. "I was an assassin."

"Ain't Tong gots tattoos and the like?" Sam asked quietly when it seemed her lover was trying to gather her courage to continue.

"Usually, yes... but not me. I was covert. They trained me to be... innocuous. And... oh, _Ji du_ (Christ), Sam, I've killed so many..."

Sam was still holding on to Val's hand tightly, and she took her strength from the contact. Feeling her hold on, still not abandoning her even after her revelations so far, gave her the courage to continue.

"They took me when I was a little girl. Took me from my family. I don't even remember my parents, but I had a brother, a year younger. Never saw them again." She sniffled, raising her shoulder to try and wipe some of the wetness from her cheek. "They trained me all throughout my life, how to kill, how to blend in, how to break into places... how to fly if I needed to escape..."

" _Wo de ai_ , killin' a few folk ain't made ya inta some kinda monster..." Sam tried to reassure her weakly.

"Six hundred twenty eight," Val interjected quietly.

"Oh," the blonde sighed. "Well, that ain't hardly a few then, izzit..."

"My hands are so very, very red with blood," Val continued quietly as if she hadn't heard her girlfriend. She stared up at the ceiling wonderingly as she finally unloaded all of the secrets she'd kept locked inside. "Some innocent, some not so much. Politicians, leaders, rebels, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers... I killed so many... but my soul got so sick of it. I never enjoyed it, I did it to survive. I hid away credits in that account, waiting for the day I could escape, but I was always too scared to do so, always too afraid of the consequences..."

The brunette blinked her eyes slowly, finally dry of tears. "My last assignment was here on Persephone. A rival Tong leader needed taught a lesson. He had a preteen boy, an adolescent really, who would bear the message. I infiltrated his bedroom and lay in wait until he came to bed. I looked at him with my gun raised to his head... and I was reminded of my sweet brother." She paused. "I can't even remember my brother's name," she mused.

Sam cleared her throat. "So... didya refuse?"

"No," Val sighed. "I shot him with my silenced pistol. I stood over his corpse while it looked up at me... and I realized that was it. I was done. I dropped the gun next to his body and extracted to my hideout. Changed into my backup clothes, and those were my sole possessions as I left it all behind, not looking back. Avoided my check in, let it seem as if I'd been caught. I just... vanished." She sighed again. "Or I tried to. I think they might have been monitoring my account, and we attracted their attention..."

Her blonde lover squeezed her hand again reassuringly, and she swallowed painfully before continuing.

"I've killed so very many. I swore to myself, I swore over the dead body of a boy who would never grow up, that I would never pick up a gun again." She looked over at Sam finally, tears threatening to spill out again. "And my stubborn pride almost got you killed. I almost lost the one thing I found worth living for. Please, _wo de ai_... please, can you ever forgive me?"

Sam laughed lightly, blinking back tears of her own. "Ain't nothin' to forgive, babe. But I'm glad ya finally told me."

Val desperately wished she could get out of her bed so that she might be able to crawl on top of her lover, feel her strong, warm arms wrap around her. "Do you still love me?" she asked in a very small voice.

"'Course I do, ya _bendan_ (idiot)," Sam replied warmly. "Lil' past history don' affect how I feel 'bout ya in the here an' now. Said I'd never leave ya, an' I meant it. Yer stuck with me, babe."

"Oh, good," Val said. She knew the foolish grin on her lover's face was easily reflected on her own. They kept looking at each other and holding hands even as the nurse returned to check on their vitals again.

They spent the afternoon talking about nonsensical things, about what they wanted for their future. Mostly it revolved around the two of them being together, which they could both wholeheartedly embrace as a fine notion, and even better, together aboard the _Willow_.

Val was just beginning to drift off to sleep finally when the door opened once again, and a wholly unexpected visitor strutted inside.

Badger seemed to be wearing the exact same outfit as before, though Val suspected he merely had several copies of those clothes that he rotated through. After having spent time with the man she'd begun to respect his keen business sense and how he always seemed to have a purpose behind even the most innocent of actions. Surely his outfit was more of a costume, one he used as a weapon to disarm those he dealt with. They'd look at his demeanor and immediately underestimate him.

Truth be told, the odd little man was beginning to grow on her, and she suspected Sam felt the same way.

The man closed the door firmly shut behind him and doffed his hat with an oily smile. "'Ello there, my fine girls. Heard ya had a spot of trouble whilst in my employ, yeah?"

"Nothin' we couldn't handle none," Sam replied bravely, her weak cough in direct opposition to her words.

Badger chuckled and pulled a chair over to sit between their bed, still at their feet so he could look at the two of them equally. "Well now, as I also understand it, you didn't give my name up to those buggers who waylaid ya, nor to the bullyboys who questioned ya neither."

"That's right," Val said softly. "It wouldn't have been right to do so."

"An' why's that, then, luv?" Badger queried softly, his eyes glinting.

"'Cause ya done right by us," Sam replied firmly.

Val nodded as well. "You gave us a chance when you didn't have to."

"Well now," Badger grinned, his mismatched teeth glinting dully. "As you c'n imagine, I highly value loyalty. So here's what I'd like to do for you two lovelies. Firstly, your debt to me is paid."

Sam and Val looked at each other, grinning as well, but he wasn't quite done yet.

"Secondly, as ye've gotten yer wounds in my service, I'm payin' fer yer hospital bills. Also, the dockin' fees stackin' up on yer lil' boat. And then one more lil' item, if'n ya please."

He leaned in, eyeing both women intently. "I'd like to offer the both of ya permanent slots within my organization. Full-time employees, doin' what ya do best. I c'n always use a skilled crew that I c'n trust."

Sam and Val reached for each other's hands again. "What d'ya think, babe?" Sam whispered.

"As long as you're with me, I don't care what we do," Val whispered back. "But I think we should do it."

"Alright then," Sam smiled, glancing up at Badger. "We're in."

"So long as it pays well," Val added with a smile of her own.

Badger laughed lightly. "Trust me on this, my lovelies, I pay well enuff to those that I employ," he reassured them. The man got up from his seat and put his hat back on, giving both of them a gentle pat on their legs. "Now, you two rest up right well, and come see me when yer on yer feet again. Cheers, then."

After he had left, Val let out a sigh and gave Sam's hand a squeeze. "Tired," she muttered.

"Get some rest, babe," Sam replied, squeezing her hand back before letting go.

Val closed her eyes, feeling at peace for the first time in quite awhile. They had steady employment now, even if it was on the shady side. They wouldn't lose their ship.

And she still had her Sam, even after having laid her soul bare.

"Valerie."

Val cracked her eyes open again to peer over at her lover. Sam was regarding her with an intense look in her brilliant blue eyes that seemed to glow in the dim light. "Yes, Samantha?" she replied, the corners of her mouth quirked into the beginnings of a smile.

"Promise me one thing."

"Anything, _wo de ai_."

Sam's mouth curved upwards into a sweet, loving smile that belied the vehemence of her words. "Willya please, fer the love of Buddha, carry a gorram gun now?"

Val snorted, then giggled, and before long was laughing merrily. Sam was doing the same right alongside her, tears streaming down both their faces as they celebrated just being alive and together.

* * *

 **NOTES:** And so ends my little tale. Hope you enjoyed reading it! I might revisit Val and Sam at a future date, who knows.

Many thanks to **schur655** , **Fallyna** , and **theradvlad** for the reviews!


	15. Chapter 15

**EPILOGUE**

Burt was a man who didn't like to part with money that he didn't need to. He learned that lesson from his momma Patience. It's how she found herself in charge of Whitefall. And it was how Burt was going to make his mark on the 'Verse.

His first action was to recruit some reliable muscle. Eddie was smart enough to know how to shoot, but dumb enough to follow his orders explicitly. Plus, he was large and intimidating, which made up for Burt's rather scrawny stature.

After that, he just needed a gullible mark to swindle, well rob really, out of their merchandise to give him the seed money he needed. He waited along with Eddie at the rendezvous for their shipment to arrive, a crate of highly profitable medicines that would fetch a fortune once they returned out to the Rim.

Burt heard the quiet shuffling sound of approaching footsteps and loosened the pistol in his holster. "Now 'member, Eddie, you don' go makin' any moves 'less I tell ya to, ya got me?"

"Sure thing, boss," Eddie replied. He carried a shotgun cradled in his large paws eagerly, but held it pointed off to the side.

Into the clearing came a pair of young women. The one lugging the crate was muscular with blond spiky hair, bright blue eyes, and a cheerful face. She wore tan cargoes, a tight white tank top, and boots. The other was a short brunette with her hair tied back in a ponytail that hung past her shoulders. She wore dark blue coveralls and spacer shoes, while her face had a slight trace of Asian ancestry evident by the almost negligible slant to her dark brown eyes.

Both were armed, the blonde with a low-slung revolver at her side and the brunette with a tiny little automatic secured in a delicate-looking combat holster. Burt snorted to himself in derision. _What's the point in carryin' a toy like that? This's gonna be easier than I thought._

The taller girl set the crate down with a huff and then stood up, dusting off her hands. "So, y'all gots the payment?" she asked brightly.

"Well now, here's the thing, darlin'," Burt drawled. "I don' like partin' with money I don' need ta." He turned towards Eddie and gave him a nod. The large man grinned and worked the action on his shotgun, chambering a round.

As soon as he did so, however, a shot rang out. Eddie yelped in both pain and surprise as the receiver of the shotgun shattered in his grip. He dropped the gun and cradled his wounded hand, blood beginning to seep out.

Burt turned, wide-eyed, to see the petite brunette calmly aiming her little automatic, which looked rather deadly now that it was pointed at his forehead, with a steady hand.

The blonde chuckled huskily as she rested her hand on her own gun. "Now, y'all shouldn'ta gone an' done that. My girlfriend here, she don' like bein' threatened none. An' she's a right smart shot with 'er gun."

"I never miss," the brunette said calmly, her velvety voice promising Burt's death if he so much as twitched towards his gun.

"Now then, why don' we try this again," the muscular woman began as she walked forward. She kept out of her partner's field of fire, reaching over to pull Burt's gun out of his holster and then flinging it far into the woods. "Our payment?"

Burt nodded rapidly, unable to take his eyes off of the dangerous brunette. He slowly eased his hand into his jacket pocket and withdrew his wallet. All of his funds were in there, ready to purchase passage for the two of them out to the Rim where they would amass their fortune. Or at least, that had been the plan.

The blonde riffled through the wallet and nodded, pulling all of his money out. "That's more'n the shipment's worth!" he protested.

"Consider it a bonus fer puttin' up with yer stupidity," the woman snorted.

"And perhaps a lesson for you to consider," the brunette added, her hand not wavering a millimeter.

Tossing the billfold at Burt's feet, the muscular woman turned and headed back the way they'd come. "Let's go, babe. We gots 'nother meetin' ta make."

The brunette finally lowered her gun and slipped it into her holster, giving Burt a cheeky wink. She turned as well and linked her arm through the other woman's as they walked off together.

The blonde leaned her head down and planted a kiss on top of the brunette's head. "Yer so sexy when yer defendin' me. Mebbe we c'n stop by the ship first..."

Burt and Eddie stayed where they were, frozen in place, as they listened to the two women walk off.

"You just get horny when I get violent, _wo de ai_."

"Ain't arguin' with ya none. Now let's get back home so's I c'n rip yer clothes off."

The brunette giggled. "How can I refuse an offer like that?"

* * *

 **NOTES:** Okay, so I lied. NOW it's done.


End file.
